UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL    EXPERIMENT   STATION 

BERKELEY,    CALIFORNIA 

CIRCULAR  308 

October,  1926 

CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION   IN  CALIFORNIA 

J.  T.  KOSA*  and  E.  L.  GAETHWAITEt 


In  1905,  only  a  few  hundred  carloads  of  cantaloupes  were  shipped 
from  California;  in  1925,  16,581  cars — well  over  half  of  the  carlot 
shipments  of  cantaloupes  for  the  whole  United  States — originated  in 
this  state.  The  cantaloupe  industry  in  California  today  has  a  greater 
cash  value  than  any  other  one  truck  crop  in  the  state.  The  increasing 
centralization  of  the  crop  in  the  western  states  and  the  decreased 
production  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  country  have  constantly  pushed 
the  center  of  cantaloupe  production  toward  the  west.  This  is  because 
of  the  high  quality  of  melons  produced  under  western  conditions. 
Here,  low  atmospheric  humidity  acts  as  a  check  to  fungous  diseases; 
absence  of  rain  during  the  picking  season  favors  the  development 
of  good  flavor  and  of  the  firmness  that  is  necessary  for  long  shipment ; 
and  the  continuous  sunlight  enables  the  plant  to  manufacture  the 
maximum  amount  of  carbohydrate,  which  is  necessary  for  the  high 
sugar  content  desired  in  melons. 

Increasing  population,  improved  transportation  facilities,  broader 
distribution,  both  seasonably  and  geographically,  and  increased  con- 
sumption of  California  cantaloupes  resulting  from  high  quality  and 
from  national  advertising  campaigns  carried  on  by  growers  and 
shippers,  indicate  that  production  of  this  crop  will  continue  to 
increase. 

This  circular  is  prepared  to  give  general  suggestions  on  the  culture 
and  handling  of  the  crop,  especially  for  growers  who  lack  experience 
in  cantaloupe  production  under  California  conditions. 


*  Assistant  Professor  of  Truck  Crops,  Associate  Plant  Breeder  in  Experiment 
Station. 

t  Specialist  in  Agricultural  Extension. 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


CANTALOUPE    DISTRICTS 

Table  8  on  page  42  gives  data  on  production  in  the  leading 
cantaloupe  shipping  states  and  figure  1  shows  graphically  the  season 
of  shipment  in  the  more  important  districts.  The  important  districts 
in  California  merit  further  discussion. 


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16   23  30   6     13  20  27  A    II     18  25    I     6    15  22  29    5    12    19  26    3    10 
May  June  July  Aug.  5epf.  Oct 

Fig.  1.     Carlot  shipments  of  cantaloupes  from  the  principal  shipping   districts, 
by  weeks,  for  the  season  of  1925. 


Imperial  Valley. — Three-quarters  of  the  production  for  the  whole 
state  is  in  the  Imperial  Valley.  About  30,000  acres  are  planted 
annually,  with  an  average  yield  of  slightly  over  half  a  carload  to  the 
acre.  About  half  the  acreage  is  "extra  early,"  the  seed  being  planted 
in  December  and  January  under  the  protection  of  paper  caps.  The 
remainder  is  planted  without  protection  in  February  and  March. 
Cantaloupes  are  grown  entirely  with  surface  irrigation  in  this  district. 
Shipments  normally  begin  about  May  20  and  continue  until  July  15, 
during  which  time  Imperial  Valley  cantaloupes  largely  dominate  the 
markets  of  the  entire  country.  In  the  early  part  of  the  shipping 
season,  Mexico,  Texas,  and  Florida  offer  some  competition.    These  sec- 


ClRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  3 

tions  are  climatically  suited  to  grow  earlier  melons  than  Imperial 
Valley,  but  they  produce  melons  of  inferior  quality — a  fact  that  is 
reflected  in  the  much  higher  prices  brought  by  Imperial  Valley  canta- 
loupes. During  the  latter  part  of  the  Imperial  Valley  season,  competi- 
tion comes  from  Arizona  and  central  California,  and  in  some  years  the 
shipments  from  the  south  Atlantic  states  become  a  serious  factor  in 
July. 

Kern  and  Tulare  Counties. — Located  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
San  Joaquin  Valley,  Kern  and  Tulare  counties  are  climatically  suited 
for  the  production  of  cantaloupes  of  high  quality.  The  shipping 
season  comes  in  July,  and  the  market  outlet  is  limited  by  the  greater 
volume  of  cantaloupes  moving  from  Imperial  Valley  in  the  early 
part  of  the  season,  and  from  Turlock  later. 

Turlock  District. — The  Turlock  district,  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  was  one  of  the  first  districts  of  California  to 
become  noted  for  melon  production,  the  sandy  texture  of  the  soil  being 
particularly  favorable  for  growing  cantaloupes  of  high  quality.  The 
crop  has  been  very  generally  grown  here  with  natural  sub-irrigation, 
though  in  some  places  drainage  is  lowering  the  water  table  to  such 
an  extent  that  surface  irrigation  is  becoming  necessary.  Marketing 
opportunities  are  somewhat  circumscribed  by  competition  early  in 
the  season  with  districts  in  central  and  southern  California,  and 
later  with  the  Yakima  Valley  in  Washington,  and  with  Nevada,  Colo- 
rado, Arkansas,  and  some  of  the  eastern  states.  Generally,  the 
production  of  Casaba,  Persian,  and  Honey  Dew  melons  has  been 
found  more  profitable  than  cantaloupes  in  this  district,  for  there  is 
no  important  competition  with  any  other  district  in  the  production 
of  these  increasingly  popular  types.  Extensive  planting  of  the  land 
with  trees  and  vines  has  limited  the  area  available  for  melons, 

■Sacramento  Valley. — Cantaloupes  have  been  grown  successfully 
in  the  warmer  part  of  the  northern  end  of  the  Sacramento  Valley. 
Though  the  season  in  this  section  is  only  slightly  later  than  in  the 
Turlock  district,  the  market  outlet  for  the  crop  seems  to  be  somewhat 
more  limited. 

THE   SEED 

From  one  to  two  pounds  of  seed  are  required  to  the  acre.  Since 
the  seed  costs  only  from  $1.00  to  $1.50  a  pound,  this  is  an  item  of 
small  expense  in  the  production  of  the  crop.  Success  depends  largely 
on  the  quality  of  the  seed,  and  there  are  several  different  aspects  to 
the  question  of  quality.  Of  paramount  importance  is  the  purity  of 
the  seed  from  the  standpoint  of  variety.    Market  requirements  rigidly 


4  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXP*]RIMENT    STATION 

insist  on  fruit  having  certain  characteristics;  and  such  fruit  cannot 
be  produced  unless  the  seed  planted  came  from  fruit  having  the 
desired  qualities.  Seeds  that  are  of  mixed  varietal  characteristics,  or 
which  come  from  stock  not  carefully  selected  for  the  highest  standards 
attainable,  produce  a  crop  largely  of  unmarketable  or  inferior  melons. 
As  will  be  explained  later,  cross-pollination  between  adjacent  plants 
is  common  in  cantaloupes,  producing  many  varietal  mixtures.  Since 
nine-tenths  of  the  varieties  grown  in  America  have  no  commercial 
value,  contamination  by  inferior  or  undesirable  types  is  all  too  fre- 
quent. No  doubt,  saving  one's  own  seed  from  selected  plants  is  the 
best  insurance  for  seed  of  known  quality ;  few  growers,  however, 
know  how  to  produce  pure  seed  in  this  way,  or  have  the  equipment 
for  handling  and  cleaning.  Furthermore,  every  grower  would  have 
his  own  standards  for  selection  and  soon  all  uniformity  in  the  leading 
market  types  would  be  lost.  This  would  put  a  serious  handicap  on 
the  successful  packing  and  marketing  of  the  product. 

To  be  of  good  quality,  seed  must  be  viable,  i.e.,  when  planted 
under  conditions  suitable  for  germination,  from  90  to  95  per  cent  of 
the  seed  should  produce  plants.  However,  lack  of  viability  is  seldom 
a  problem  with  cantaloupe  seeds,  which  retain  germinating  power  for 
about  ten  years,  if  stored  in  a  cool  dry  place.  In  the  tropics,  under 
conditions  of  high  temperature  and  high  humidity,  the  viability  is 
quickly  lost.  Seed  shipped  to  tropical  countries,  therefore,  should  be 
in  air-tight  containers  or  in  waxed-paper  packages.  Some  growers 
claim  that  seed  three  or  more  years  old  gives  better  results  than  new 
seed.  Though  there  is  no  evidence  to  support  the  theory  that  old 
seed  has  any  physiological  superiority  over  new,  there  is  one  practical 
advantage  from  its  use :  seed  which  tests  satisfactorily  on  a  small 
scale  one  year  may  be  used  to  plant  the  main  crop  in  succeeding  years. 
There  has  been  considerable  discussion  of  the  relative  merits  of 
seed  grown  in  different  sections  of  the  country.  There  is  little  well- 
substantiated  information  concerning  the  effect  of  climate  on  the 
crop-producing  power  of  any  kind  of  seed.  That  climatic  factors 
may  be  the  direct  cause  of  the  deterioration  or  " running  out"  of  a 
variety,  is  improbable.  Lack  of  selection  to  maintain  the  varietal 
type  may  be  more  common  with  some  growers  than  with  others, 
however.  The  fact  that  corn  seed  from  northern  localities  produces 
an  earlier  crop  than  southern  grown  seed  is  often  cited  to  prove  the 
general  superiority  of  seed  grown  in  the  north;  this  superiority, 
however,  is  due  to  the  effects  of  the  natural  selection  exercised  by 
the  short  growing  season  in  the  north,  which  causes  the  automatic 
elimination  of  the  slower  growing  plants.     That  such  effects  are  to 


ClRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  5 

be  expected  in  the  cantaloupe  to  any  marked  extent  is  unlikely, 
because  of  the  relative  purity  of  cantaloupe  varieties  and  the  fact  that 
cantaloupes  are  to  a  large  extent"  self -pollinated. 

In  1923,  seed  of  a  pure  strain  of  the  Salmon-tint  variety  were 
sent  to  different  states  where  they  were  grown,  seed  saved,  and 
returned  to  Davis,  California,  for  testing  the  following  year.  No 
noteworthy  differences  were  observable  when  these  seeds  from  different 
sources  were  planted  side  by  side  at  Davis.  It  was  found,  however, 
that  the  average  weight  of  the  seed  grown  in  different  sections  differed 
considerably,  as  indicated  by  the  number  of  seeds  to  a  pound. 

TABLE   1 
Weight  of  Seed  Grown  in  Different  Sections 

Seeds  to  a  pound 

Original  stock,  grown  in  Colorado 14,480 

Progeny  grown  in  South  Carolina 14,930 

Progeny  grown  in  Imperial  Valley,  California 16,850 

Progeny  grown  in  Kiverside,  California 17,310 

Progeny  grown  in  Maryland 23,733 

The  weight  of  seed  may  be  affected  by  the  maturity  of  the  fruit 
when  harvested.  Furthermore,  climatic  conditions  may  play  a  part 
in  seed  weight,  for  where  the  fruit  is  caused  to  mature  with  extreme 
rapidity  by  high  temperatures,  or  prematurely  through  defoliation 
of  the  plant  by  disease,  the  seed  will  be  light.  It  is  the  experience 
of  growers  in  the  Turlock  district  that  seed  produced  on  a  late  crop, 
maturing  in  October,  is  heavier  than  that  from  an  early  crop,  in  which 
the  melons  ripen  during  the  hot  period  of  July  and  August.  Accord- 
ingly, crops  intended  for  seed  are  planted  there  in  June  or  July, 
to  get  the  benefit  of  maturation  in  the  cooler  season  of  the  fall. 

SEED    PRODUCTION 

At  the  present  time,  the  market  demand  is  chiefly  for  a  type  of 
cantaloupe  that  is  round  or  slightly  oval;  of  such  size  that  the 
majority  of  the  fruit  will  pack  45  to  the  standard  crate;  heavily 
netted  all  over  and  free  of  cracks,  deep  sutures  and  of  depressed  or 
protruding  blossom  ends,  firm  and  solid,  so  that  it  will  carry  well; 
thick  fleshed  with  small  seed  cavities,  and  with  firm,  fine  textured 
flesh  of  the  proper  color  for  the  variety;  and  of  high  sugar  content 
and  fine  flavor.  Uniformity  in  size,  shape,  and  season  of  maturity  is 
of  great  importance.  A  crop  having  a  large  proportion  of  melons 
of  "jumbo"  or  "pony"  sizes  is  undesirable.  Earliness  and  disease 
resistance  also  have  to  be  considered  at  times. 


6  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

The  cantaloupe  plant  bears  two  kinds  of  flowers,  as  shown  in 
figure  2 :  staminate  or  male  flowers,  which  are  by  far  the  most 
numerous,  and  hermaphroditic  flowers,  which  contain  both  male  and 
female  organs,  and  are  potentially  self-fertile.  Not  all  of  the  latter 
class  of  flowers  produce  fruit,  however;  those  near  the  base  of  each 
branch  set  freely,  resulting  in  the  formation  of  a  "crown  set."  Some 
fruits  may  form  on  the  outer  part  of  the  branches  later  in  the  season. 
Bees  are  the  chief  means  of  pollination ;  the  perfect  or  hermaphroditic 
flowers  are  seldom  fertilized  unless  visited  by  a  bee  or  other  insect 
which  scatters  the  pollen  so  that  some  of  it  falls  on  the  stigma  (female 


Fig.  2.    Portion  of  cantaloupe  stem  showing  (a)  main  stem,  (Z>)  staminate 
flowers,  (c)  hermaphroditic  flowers,  which  produce  the  fruit. 

organ).  Hence  bees  are  very  desirable  in  the  commercial  melon  field. 
Since  they  also  carry  pollen  from  flower  to  flower  and  from  plant 
to  plant,  they  are  likely,  however,  to  cause  extensive  cross-pollination, 
which,  if  different  varieties  are  planted  near  by,  leads  to  varietal 
mixtures.  There  is  no  immediate  or  apparent  effect  from  such 
cross-pollination;  only  the  seed  have  "hybrid"  embryos,  and  when 
planted  will  give  rise  to  a  "hybrid"  plant,  having  some  of  the 
characteristics  of  both  parents.  Inter-varietal  crossing  under  con- 
trolled conditions  is  an  important  step  in  the  production  of  new 
varieties;  but  from  the  seed-grower's  point  of  view,  chance  crossing 
is  undesirable.  It  is  not  known  how  far  bees  are  likely  to  carry 
pollen.  Probably  the  chances  of  crossing  are  very  small  when  different 
varieties  are  planted  a  mile  apart. 

The    cantaloupe    crosses   freely   with   the    Persian,    Honey   Dew, 
Casaba,  and  Santa  Claus  melons.    It  does  not  cross  with  the  cucumber, 


Circ.  308] 


CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA 


watermelon,  squash,  or  gherkin,  which  belong  to  different  species, 
and  furthermore,  these  crops  do  not  affect  the  quality  of  cantaloupe 
seed  or  fruit  when  grown  near  by. 

Even  though  the  seed  field  is  planted  with  the  purest  stock  seed 
obtainable,  and  though  it  is  reasonably  well  isolated  from  other 
varieties,  it  is  necessary  to  practice  a  certain  amount  of  roguing. 
Plants  that  produce  undesirable  or  off-type  fruits  should  be  destroyed 
to  prevent  the  inclusion  of  seed  from  such  plants  in  the  harvest. 
The  average  of  all  the  fruits  on  the  plant,  and  not  the  quality  of 
any  one  fruit,  should  be  the  basis  of  consideration  in  selecting  for 


Fig.  3.     Thresher  used  in  harvesting  melon  seeds.     The   2   h.p.   gasoline  engine 
which  operates  the  crusher  and  the  reel,  is  under  the  canvas  at  point  marked  A. 


improved  types.  Fields  intended  for  seed  production  are  usually 
planted  much  thicker  than  the  market  crop ;  the  extra  number  of 
plants  will  produce  more  fruit,  with  increased  seed  production.  A 
good  yield  of  seed  is  800  pounds  to  the  acre.  The  fruits  are  allowed 
to  become  fully  ripe  on  the  vines.  Two  to  three  pickings  are  usually 
made  on  seed  cantaloupes.  At  each  picking,  the  ripe  melons  are  piled 
in  windrows.  A  threshing  machine,  such  as  that  shown  in  figure  3, 
is  then  driven  through  the  field  and  the  melons  are  pitched  into  the 
hopper  of  the  grinder  with  forks.  The  rinds  and  much  of  the  pulp 
are  discharged  on  the  ground.  The  juice  and  seeds  are  collected  in 
barrels  or  tanks  and  left  from  two  to  five  days  to  allow  fermentation, 
which  removes  the  gelatinous  coating  on  the  seed  and  facilitates 
separation  of  seed  from  pulp.  Water  is  then  added  and  the  pulp 
floated  off.  The  seeds  are  washed  several  times  and  are  finally  dried 
in  thin  layers  on  screens. 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


VARIETIES 

The  term  ''cantaloupe"  is  a  mis-nomer.  In  the  species  Cucumis 
melo,  there  are  several  sub-groups  which  were  classified  and  named 
by  Charles  Naudin,  of  France,  about  seventy  years  ago.  The  name 
Cantaloupensis  was  applied  to  a  group  of  varieties  having  warty  or 
furrowed  fruit,  while  the  varieties  having  a  netted  surface  were 
included  in  the  group  reticulatus.  The  former  group  is  extensively 
cultivated  in  Europe  and  is  still  called  the  cantaloupe  melon  there. 
Netted  varieties  grown  in  Europe  are  called  "melon  brodes. "  How- 
ever, by  common  usage  the  term  cantaloupe  has  come  to  be  almost 
universally  used  for  the  netted  varieties  in  America.  The  term 
"muskmelon"  might  be  applied  to  any  member  of  the  species  having 
a  musky  odor.  The  winter  melons,  such  as  Casaba  and  Honey  Dew, 
belong  to  the  group  inodoratus  (lacking  odor). 


Fig.  4.     Stem-end,  side  and  blossom-end  views  of  the  Salmon-tint    (Ten-Twenty- 
Five)    variety. 

Among  the  netted  melons,  there  are  a  number  of  varietal  types  and 
a  long  list  of  varietal  names,  many  of  which  are  duplications.  Only 
a  few  varieties  are  commercially  important.  Those  most  popular  in 
California  are  described  below. 

The  Pollock  Group. — The  fruits  are  small  to  medium  in  size; 
rounded  oval,  not  ribbed,  heavily  netted;  sutures  absent  or  only  a 
line,  well  netted  over;  season  of  maturity  medium  early.  Green- 
fleshed  varieties  of  this  group  are  Eden  Gem,  Green-Meated  Pollock, 
Early  Watters,  Netted  Rock,  Mission  Bell,  and  Buskirk's  Blight-Proof. 

The  pink-fleshed  varieties  (this  color  of  flesh  is  sometimes  referred 
to  as  orange  or  yellow)  of  this  group  are  Golden  Pollock,  Gold  Winner, 
and  Netted  Nugget.  Partly  yellow-fleshed  varieties  are  Salmon-tint, 
Pollock   or   Ten-Twenty   Five,   Gold   Lined   Pollock,   and   Edward's 


Circ.  308] 


CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA 


Perfecto.  These  have  from  one-third  to  one-half  of  the  flesh  next  to 
the  cavity  colored  pink  when  ripe.  The  Salmon-tint  or  Ten-Twenty 
Five  variety  has  been  used  most  largely,  with  a  limited  acreage  in  the 
green-fleshed  varieties.  The  latter  are  supposed  to  be  somewhat 
earlier,  but  are  rapidly  losing  ground  in  commercial  production.  In 
the  eastern  and  southern  states  the  green-fleshed  varieties  are  grown 
more  extensively.  The  pink  or  yellow-fleshed  varieties,  while  of 
splendid  appearance  and  eating  quality,  are  generally  supposed  to  be 
poorly  adapted  for  long  shipment;  commercial  production  of  these 
varieties  is  rapidly  increasing,  however. 


Fig.  5.     The  Hearts  of  Gold  variety. 


Hale's  Best. — Hale's  Best  is  a  1924  introduction,  of  the  same 
general  type  as  the  Salmon-tint  variety,  but  is  said  to  be  earlier  in 
maturing.  It  has  pink  flesh,  is  well  netted,  and  has  become  popular 
on  the  market.  It  is  said  to  be  the  result  of  a  chance  cross  between 
the  salmon-tint  and  the  Emerald  Gem,  originally  selected  by  a  Jap- 
anese grower  in  Imperial  Valley,  and  subsequently  developed  by 
Mr.  I.  D.  Hale.  Some  stocks  of  this  variety  are  considerably  mixed 
as  to  varietal  type. 

Hearts  of  Gold  (Hoodoo). — This  variety  (fig.  5)  has  recently 
become  popular  in  California.  Its  fruit  is  the  same  size  as  the 
Salmon-tint,  but  is  ribbed  with  shallow  longitudinal  grooves  or  sutures, 
which  are  not  netted  over.  The  flesh  is  pink.  The  fruit  matures 
somewhat  later  than  the  Salmon-tint. 


10 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Jenny  Lind. — Although  one  of  the  oldest  American  varieties,  this 
variety  (fig.  6)  is  not  grown  extensively  in  California.  The  fruits 
are  oblate,  ribbed,  well  netted  except  in  the  sutures,  and  have  a 
large  stylar  scar  at  the  distal  end.  Some  strains  also  have  a  pro- 
truding "navel"  at  the  distal  end.  The  flesh  is  pale  green.  The 
variety  Fordhook  is  similar  to  Jenny  Lind,  except  that  the  flesh 
is  pink.  The  chief  importance  of  these  varieties  lies  in  their  extreme 
earliness  in  maturing. 


Fig.   6.     Jenny  Lind,  a  green-fleshed   variety. 


.&# 


Fig.  7.     Bun-ill's  Gem,  or  "Pink  Meat"  variety. 

Burrills  Gem  (Ordway  Pink  Meat,  Pink  Queen.) — Although 
important  in  Arizona  and  Colorado,  this  variety  (fig.  7)  has  never 
become  popular  in  California.  The  fruits  are  ovate  or  oblong, 
sparsely  netted,  ribbed,  pink  fleshed,  late  in  maturing  and  somewhat 
subject  to  cracking.  Since  it  does  not  pack  so  well  in  a  standard 
crate  as  the  more  nearly  round  varieties,  it  is  usually  shipped  in  flats. 
On  account  of  its  luscious  quality,  it  has  brought  higher  prices  on 
eastern  markets  than  other  varieties. 


Circ.  308] 


CANTALOUPE    PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA 


11 


Tip-Top. — Though  this  is  not  a  shipping  melon,  it  is  grown 
extensively  for  local  markets  in  southern  California.  The  fruit  is 
larger  than  the  varieties  discussed  above  and  is  oval  in  shape  (fig.  8)  ; 
it  is  ribbed  and  has  little  or  no  netting ;  the  flesh  is  pink,  with  a  green 
layer  next  to  the  rind.  Similar  varieties  are  Irondequot,  Surprise, 
and  The  Bender. 


W 


Fig. 


Tip -Top  variety.     Fruit  at  left  has  3  locules,  the  one  above  has  4. 


Paul  Rose. — The  Paul  Rose  is  grown  for  local  markets  in  northern 
California.  The  fruit  is  small,  oval,  ribbed,  heavily  netted  on  the 
ribs,  and  has  smooth  sutures,  and  pink  flesh. 

Montreal. — This  is  one  of  the  largest-fruited  varieties,  the  melons 
often  weighing  15  pounds.  The  fruit  is  round  and  sparsely  netted, 
has  shallow  sutures  and  green  flesh,  and  is  late  in  maturing.  It  is 
popular  for  restaurant  and  hotel  trade  in  late  summer  in  southern 
California.  J.  M.  Thurmon,  Saticoy,  California,  has  developed  a 
pink-meated  strain,  earlier  in  maturing  than  the  old  Montreal. 


OTHER    TYPES    OF    MELONS 

Mention  should  be  made  here  of  other  important  types  which, 
although  closely  related  to  those  varieties  called  cantaloupes,  belong 
to  other  botanical  sub-species, 

Casaba. — The  name  Casaba,  derived  from  the  town  of  Kassabah, 
in  Asia  Minor,  includes  several  distinct  varieties,  the  first  of  which 


12  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

is  said  to  have  been  introduced  in  this  country  in  1868.  Casabas 
are  now  grown  extensively  in  California.  Golden  Beauty  is  the  lead- 
ing variety.  The  fruits  are  large,  oblate,  oval  or  pear  shaped ;  lemon 
yellow  in  color,  not  netted  or  ribbed,  but  with  numerous  longitudinal 
corrugations  or  wrinkles;  they  have  thick  tough  skin,  and  white 
flesh,  are  late  maturing;  and  possess  long-keeping  qualities.  Since 
the  stem  does  not  form  an  abscission  zone  upon  maturity,  as  canta- 
loupes do,  the  proper  stage  for  picking  the  fruit  is  determined  by 
the  softening  of  the  blossom  (stylar)  end  of  the  fruit.  Generally, 
the  fruits  are  marketed  when  they  are  too  hard  and  immature  to  be 
of  the  best  quality.  After  two  or  three  months'  storage  at  ordinary 
temperatures,  the  flesh  becomes  very  soft  and  juicy.  Another  variety 
of  Casaba  is  the  Santa  Claus  melon,  the  fruit  of  which  are  long, 
cylindrical,  smooth,  and  colored  with  splotches  of  black  and  yellow. 
In  other  respects,  this  variety  is  similar  to  Golden  Beauty. 

Honey  Detv. — Honey  Dew  is  similar  to  the  French  variety  White 
Antibes.  It  was  introduced  into  Colorado  about  1913,  thence  into 
California,  where  it  is  extensively  grown.  Statements  sometimes 
made  that  this  melon  is  the  result  of  a  cross  between  a  cantaloupe 
and  a  casaba  are  not  founded  on  fact.  The  fruits  are  rather  large, 
oval,  and  not  ribbed  or  netted,  with  smooth  white  skin.  The  flesh  is 
pale  green.  Since  no  abscission  zone  is  formed  upon  maturity,  the 
only  guide  in  harvesting  is  the  development  of  a  yellowish  tint  and 
a  softening  at  the  blossom  end.  Although  a  fairly  good  keeper,  this 
melon  does  not  last  so  long  in  storage  as  the  other  winter  melons. 
A  variety  having  pale  pink  flesh  was  introduced  in  1923  and  is  known 
as  Golden  Honey  Dew. 

Persian, — This  melon  was  probably  brought  to  California  about  20 
years  ago  by  the  Armenians.  It  seems  to  be  exclusively  a  California 
product  at  present,  and  is  generally  considered  to  be  of  the  highest 
quality  from  the  consumer's  point  of  view.  The  fruit  is  large,  nearly 
round,  sparsely  netted,  and  not  ribbed,  and  has  very  thick  pink  flesh. 
It  requires  a  long  growing  season,  and  when  it  is  left  on  the  vine 
until  fully  mature,  there  is  a  partial  development  of  an  abscission 
zone,  so  that  the  fruit  can  be  slipped  from  the  stem.  Generally  the 
fruits  are  picked  for  market  before  this  stage  is  reached,  when  the 
blossom  end  softens  slightly  and  the  color  of  the  skin,  seen  between 
the  netting,  assumes  a  yellow  or  slightly  red  tint.  "While  the  Persian 
partakes  somewhat  of  the  firmness  and  long-keeping  qualities  of  the 
Casaba,  it  is  distinct  from  the  latter,  and  is  not  generally  considered 
adapted  for  long  shipping.  Hence  the  eastern  markets  have  not  been 
extensively  supplied  with  this  melon  as  yet.     There  is  need  for  the 


CIRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION   IN   CALIFORNIA  13 

development  of  a  strain  having  a  strong  blossom  end,  which  is  the 
main  defect  that  handicaps  the  shipment  of  this  variety  at  present. 
The  culture  of  the  Persian  in  the  Imperial  Valley  has  not  been  very 
successful,  as  the  lateness  in  maturing  exposes  the  plants  to  injury 
by  the  melon  aphis.  Armenian  and  Armenian  Hybrid  are  other  names 
for  this  variety.  The  Turkish  melon  is  a  variety  having  ribbed 
oblong  fruits,  but  otherwise  similar  to  the  Persian.  The  California 
type  of  Persian  is  distinct  from  the  variety  of  that  name  described 
in  English  and  French  literature. 

SOIL   AND    CLIMATIC    REQUIREMENTS 

Muck  or  peat  soils  are  never  used  for  cantaloupes,  and  heavy  clays 
and  adobe  soils  are  generally  avoided.  They  are  grown  most  exten- 
sively on  sandy  soils,  as  in  the  Turlock  district,  and  on  sandy  loam 
and  fine  sandy  loams  in  the  Imperial  Valley.  In  sections  where 
early  production  is  desirable,  it  is  necessar3r  to  have  a  soil  which 
warms  up  rapidly  in  the  spring.  This  requires  good  drainage  and  a 
light  open  texture ;  heavier  soils  are  better  adapted  to  the  later  crops. 
Soils  for  growing  cantaloupes  should  have  a  good  supply  of  organic 
matter  and  should  be  in  at  least  a  fair  state  of  fertility. 

In  selecting  land  for  cantaloupes,  the  grower  should  ascertain  that 
it  is  free  from  nematodes,  and  from  toxic  amounts  of  alkali.  Old 
alfalfa  land  is  considered  best  for  cantaloupes. 

The  cantaloupe  requires  a  growing  season  free  from  frost ;  warm 
nights  with  hot  days  induce  best  development.  The  plants  are  easily 
killed  by  frost  at  any  stage,  and  comparatively  high  temperatures  are 
required  for  both  germination  and  subsequent  growth.  On  the  Pacific 
Coast,  cantaloupe  culture  is  generally  limited  to  the  warm  interior 
valleys. 

Relation  of  Climate  to  Quality. — Atmospheric  conditions  are 
important  in  several  ways.  Low  relative  humidity  of  the  air  during 
the  fruit-ripening  season  favors  the  development  of  the  thick  coarse 
netting  and  solidity  of  flesh,  both  of  which  are  very  important  for 
good  shipping  quality — ability  to  stand  rough  handling,  long  shipment 
and  delay  in  reaching  the  consumer.  Low  humidity,  coupled  with 
lack  of  rain  and  dew,  holds  in  check  fungous  diseases  which  weaken 
or  destroy  the  foliage  of  the  plants  in  humid  sections  unless  careful 
spraying  is  practiced.  Because  of  freedom  from  diseases,  western 
contaloupes  generally  yield  well;  have  a  long  picking  season;  the 
melons  have  a  better  flavor,  and  a  higher  sugar  content  than  those 
grown  in  the  eastern  states. 


14  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


FERTILIZERS 

The  majority  of  the  soils  in  the  arid  interior  valleys  of  California 
are  particularly  low  in  organic  matter  and  hence  are  lacking  in 
nitrogen,  but  in  nearly  all  cases  other  essential  plant-food  elements, 
including  phosphorous  and  potassium,  are  present  in  relatively  large 
amounts.  Where  no  attention  has  been  paid  to  supplying  organic 
matter  to  the  soils,  potassium  and  phosphorous  may  be  in  such  a  form 
that  they  cannot  be  utilized  by  plants.  On  the  other  hand,  soils  that 
are  rich  in  humus  rarely  need  additional  supplies  of  chemical  nitrogen, 
phosphorous  or  potash  for  successful  cantaloupe  production.  It  is 
the  common  practice  of  cantaloupe  growers  to  use  land  that  has  been 
in  alfalfa  for  a  number  of  years.  Profitable  crops  of  cantaloupes  can 
usually  be  grown  at  least  one  year  and  sometimes  longer  after  plowing 
up  the  alfalfa  without  additional  fertilization.  However,  on  land  not 
previously  in  alfalfa,  or  prior  to  the  second  and  third  crops  of 
cantaloupes  after  alfalfa,  the  plowing  under  of  10  to  20  tons  of 
barnyard  manure  to  the  acre  will  often  be  found  profitable.  In 
sections  of  the  state  where  early  cantaloupes  are  produced,  a  summer 
cover  crop  of  cowpeas  can  be  grown  after  the  harvesting  of  the  melons. 
In  Imperial  Valley,  Brabbam,  Victor  or  Iron  cowpeas  have  not  only 
given  larger  yields  of  green  material  than  other  summer  legumes,  but 
these  varieties  are  also  resistant  to  nematodes.  In  turning  under  a 
cover  crop,  the  material  should  first  be  well  mixed  with  the  soil  by 
double  discing  and  should  then  be  plowed  under,  and  the  land 
irrigated  to  promote  rapid  decay  of  the  organic  matter. 

In  some  sections  of  the  state,  especially  on  light  soils,  increased 
yields  have  been  secured  by  using  chemical  fertilizers.  Little  definite 
information  exists  as  to  the  elements  that  may  be  profitably  used, 
however,  and  only  careful  local  tests  can  determine  the  proper  fer- 
tilization practice.  A  common  practice  is  to  use  a  complete  fertilizer 
containing  nitrogen,  phosphorous  and  potash.  This  no  doubt  is 
usually  wasteful  because  it  is  very  likely  only  one  element  is  really 
needed.  As  a  rule,  one  application  of  400  to  600  pounds  to  the  acre 
is  made,  just  prior  to  planting.  Comparative  tests  in  California  and 
elsewhere  indicate,  however,  that  a  second  application  made  just 
prior  to  the  time  the  plant  begins  to  send  out  branches  more  than 
justifies  the  additional  cost. 

Better  results  have  been  obtained  by  applying  the  commercial 
fertilizer  in  a  furrow  than  by  broadcasting  it  over  the  entire  surface 
of  the  ground.     The  fertilizer  may  be  spread  by  hand  or  drilled  in 


ClRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  15 

with  a  corn  and  cotton  planter  fitted  with  a  fertilizer  attachment 
or  with  a  special  fertilizer  drill,  when  the  beds  are  being  made.  When 
walking  plows  are  used  in  bedding,  the  fertilizer  is  applied  in  next  to 
the  last  furrow  on  the  south  side  of  the  bed.  The  fertilizer  is  covered 
by  the  last  furrow  slice  which  makes  up  the  bed.  When  bedding  is 
done  with  a  tractor  drawing  a  set  of  six  plows,  a  large  can  is  set  on 
the  plow  frame  just  ahead  of  the  plow  which  throws  up  the  last  slice 
on  the  side  of  the  bed.  The  fertilizer  is  fed  from  this  can  through 
an  adjustable  opening.  When  a  second  application  is  made  at  the 
time  the  plants  are  starting  runners,  the  fertilizer  may  be  applied 
with  a  drill  which  is  drawn  about  half  way  between  the  plant  and 
the  bottom  of  the  irrigation  furrow,  or  else  a  hillside  plow  may  be 
used  to  open  a  furrow  near  the  plants,  in  which  the  fertilizer  is 
scattered  by  hand  or  with  a  drill,  and  a  lister  then  used  to  throw  the 
soil  over  the  fertilizer  and  to  open  up  the  furrow  for  irrigation. 


CULTURAL    PRACTICES 

Planting  Bate. — The  time  of  planting  has  become  fairly  well 
established  in  different  sections.  The  average  planting  date  for  a 
given  locality  varies  somewhat  from  year  to  year,  as  weather  condi- 
tions, especially  temperature,  determine  the  optimum  date.  Generally, 
a  large  part  of  the  crop  is  planted  somewhat  earlier  than  the  optimum 
date,  in  order  to  obtain  the  advantage  of  the  early  market,  if  unfavor- 
able weather  does  not  destroy  the  crop.  A  temperature  above  50°  F 
is  required  for  germination  of  melon  seeds.  If  the  soil  is  cooler  than 
this,  the  seeds  decay  or  germinate  so  slowly  that  they  are  destroyed 
by  wire  worms  or  corn  maggots.  The  planting  date  is  regulated  to 
some  extent  to  mature  the  crop  at  a  time  when  market  conditions 
are  likely  to  be  favorable.  Table  2  shows  approximate  planting  dates 
for  different  sections. 

TABLE    2 
Approximate  Planting  Dates  for  Various  Cantaloupe  Sections 

Imperial  Valley,  Calif.. .Dec.  15-Apr.  1  Dover,  Del Apr.  5-20 

Turlock,  Calif Mar.  15-Apr.  15  Anna,  111 Apr.  5-15 

Tulare,  Calif Mar.  1-Apr.  1  Yakima,  Wash Apr.  20-May  1 

Sacramento  Valley,  Medford,  Ore Apr.  10-May  1 

Calif Apr.  15-May  15  Rocky  Ford,  Colo May  1-June  1 

Brownsville,  Texas Feb.  10-20  Grand  Rapids,  Mich May  20 

Blackville,  S.  Car Apr.  1-15  Moapa,  Nev Apr.  1-15 

Bolton,  Ark Apr.  1-20  Decker,  Ind Apr.  1  (in  hot- 

Glendale,  Ariz Apr.  1-20  bed) 


16  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Preparation  of  the  Soil  for  Planting. — When  alfalfa  sod  is  used, 
it  should  be  plowed  the  preceding  summer.  To  kill  out  the  alfalfa 
roots,  a  shallow  plowing  may  be  given  first,  followed  by  a  double 
discing.  In  about  two  weeks  the  ground  is  replowed,  this  time  to  a 
depth  of  six  or  eight  inches,  and  is  usually  left  lying  rough,  though 
some  growers  prefer  to  disc  right  after  the  plowing,  thereby  facilitat- 
ing later  operations.  The  land  is  allowed  to  lie  idle  as  long  as  possible 
and  is  then  bordered  up  and  a  heavy  flood  irrigation  given  (fig.  9). 
The  borders  are  knocked  down,  the  land  double  disced  and  smoothed 
down  with  a  large  float.  The  ground  is  then  ready  for  planting,  or 
for  bedding  where  planting  is  done  on  raised  beds. 

When  cantaloupes  follow  cantaloupes  or  other  summer  truck  crops, 
the  beds  of  the  previous  crop  are  first  disced  down,  the  land  plowed 
six  to  eight  inches  deep,  and  smoothed  with  a  float.  About  a  month 
before  planting  time,  the  land  is  irrigated  and  fitted  as  described  in 
the  preceding  paragraph.  When  cantaloupes  follow  lettuce  or  other 
winter  truck  crops,  the  beds  of  the  previous  crops  are  double  disced 
so  that  the  ground  is  flat,  (fig.  9)  and,  since  the  soil  is  generally 
quite  moist,  beds  for  the  cantaloupes  are  thrown  up  without  further 
treatment. 

Various  methods  are  employed  in  making  beds  for  cantaloupes 
(figs.  10,  11),  some  growers  preferring  walking  plows,  others  using 
a  two-bottom  riding  plow  drawn  by  a  small  tractor,  while  others  use 
a  large  caterpillar  tractor  pulling  six  plows  and  making  two  half  beds 
at  a  single  operation. 

The  beds  are  marked  out  with  a  riding  lister,  to  which  a  marker 
disc  is  attached  (fig.  10).  The  lister  makes  a  furrow  eight  to  ten 
inches  deep.  The  beds  are  formed  by  back-furrowing,  making  three 
rounds  with  ten-,  twelve-,  or  fourteen-inch  walking  plows.  The  tops 
of  the  beds  are  then  harrowed  with  a  two-section  spike-tooth  harrow. 
Some  growers  prefer  to  use  a  disc,  which  packs  the  tops  of  the  beds 
better.  The  south  or  west  sides  of  the  beds  are  than  smoothed  off 
with  a  V.  A  twelve-  or  fourteen-inch  lister  is  then  run  in  the  dead 
furrow,  between  the  beds,  to  clean  it  out  and  to  give  as  high  a  bed 
as  possible.    The  seed  is  then  planted  and  the  ground  irrigated. 

Some  growers  prefer  to  irrigate  prior  to  planting,  especially  if 
the  land  was  not  pre-irrigated  before  bedding.  This  is  done  after 
the  tops  of  the  beds  have  been  harrowed.  As  soon  as  the  ground  is 
dry  enough,  the  beds  are  disced,  the  south  or  west  side  firmed  and 
smoothed  down  with  a  V,  and  the  seed  planted. 


Circ.  308] 


CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA 


17 


, 


Fig.    9.      Preparation    of   land    for   cantaloupes. 

Top — Disking  up  the  winter  crop  of  lettuce. 

Center — Flooding,   after   leveling   and   bordering   the   land. 

Bottom — Smoothing  and  leveling  just  before  bedding. 


18 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Fig.  10.     Preparation  of  beds  for  cantaloupes. 

Top — The  first  operation,  marking  off  the  rows,  seven  feet  apart. 
Center — Forming  the  bed  by  back  furrowing  over  the  lister  mark. 
Bottom — The  bed  is  completed  except  for  breaking  out  the  dead  furrow. 


Circ.  308] 


CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA 


19 


Fig.  11.     Preparation  of  cantaloupe  beds. 

Top — Forming  sides  of  two  beds  with  tractor-drawn  ' '  bedding  machine. ' ' 
Center — Harrowing  down  the  beds.     Necessary  only  where  the  soil  is  cloddy. 
Bottom — Smoothing  the  south  or  west  side  of  bed  with  a  V. 


20  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

While  a  few  growers  use  low  beds,  the  great  majority  favor  high 
beds  facing  south  or  west.  A  larger  surface  exposed  to  the  sun  means 
that  the  soil  will  warm  up  more  quickly,  the  plants  will  be  more 
protected  from  winds,  and  the  vines  and  melons  will  be  kept  out  of 
the  water  in  the  irrigation  furrows. 

In  the  Turlock  district,  melons  are  often  grown  without  irrigation 
on  land  with  a  high  water  table.  Here  no  beds  are  used,  the  seed 
being  drilled  in  rows  the  proper  distance  apart,  on  the  level  surface 
of  the  soil.  In  other  sections,  where  only  a  small  amount  of  irrigation 
is  necessary,  the  seed  is  planted  on  level  ground  and  furrows  are  made 
between  the  rows  for  irrigation  when  necessary. 

Method  of  Planting. — There  are  three  general  methods  of  planting 
cantaloupe  seed :  by  hand,  the  seed  being  covered  with  a  hoe ;  by  hand 
planter;  and  by  drilling  in  the  seed,  either  with  a  hand  or  a  horse- 
drawn  seed  drill. 

When  planting  by  hand,  a  hoe  with  a  handle  about  fifteen  inches 
long  is  used  (fig.  12  above).  The  soil  is  deeply  cultivated  with  this 
hoe  for  about  ten  or  twelve  inches  around  the  "hill"  where  the  seed 
is  to  be  placed.  A  hole  about  six  inches  long,  four  inches  wide,  and 
about  an  inch  or  two  deep  is  then  made  with  the  hoe,  and  into  this 
are  dropped  from  four  to  fifteen  seeds,  depending  upon  several  factors 
which  will  be  discussed  later.  The  seeds  are  not  bunched  but  are 
spread  around  in  the  hole.  The  soil  is  then  firmed  over  the  seed  and 
a  little  loose  soil  placed  on  top  to  provide  a  mulch.  Only  about  one 
pound  of  seed  to  the  acre  is  sown  by  this  method.  Where  cheap  labor 
must  be  depended  on,  this  is  usually  the  favorite  method  of  planting. 

Where  a  somewhat  better  class  of  labor  can  be  obtained,  hand 
planters  or  "jabbers"  (fig.  12)  are  used.  Two  modifications  are 
necessary  for  these  planters.  One  consists  of  setting  a  cone  in  the 
interior  so  as  to  spread  the  seed,  and  thus  prevent  the  bunching  of  the 
seed  in  the  hill ;  the  other,  of  attaching  a  shoe  to  the  outside  to  prevent 
the  planter  from  being  pushed  too  deeply  into  the  ground.  With  these 
two  attachments,  hand  planters  are  finding  much  favor.  Without  the 
cone  in  the  interior,  the  twelve  or  more  seeds  dropped  each  time  come 
up  in  a  bunch  resulting  in  rather  weak  spindling  plants,  which  are 
difficult  to  thin  without  seriously  interfering  with  the  plants  to  be 
left.  This  method  is  considerably  cheaper  than  planting  with  hoes, 
one  man  being  able  to  plant  at  least  eight  acres  a  day  with  a  planter 
as  against  about  an  acre  a  day  with  a  hoe.  Very  little  more  seed  is 
used. 

Late  plantings,  which  are  not  to  be  protected  with  hot  caps,  are 
sown  with  hand  drills  or  one-horse  planters.     Some  growers  attach 


Circ.  308] 


CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA 


21 


a  hand  drill  behind  the  V  that  is  used  to  shape  the  south  side  of 
the  bed,  as  shown  in  the  top  of  figure  13.  Other  growers  prefer  to  do 
the  two  operations  separately  and  use  horse-drawn  planters  (fig.  13). 
Planting  with  drills  has  certain  advantages.    If  a  responsible  man  can 


•    **#•&'& 


Fig.  12.     Planting  cantaloupes  by  hand. 
Above— With  short-handled  hoe.  Below — With  hand  planter. 

be  obtained  who  will  make  certain  that  the  planter  feeds  regularly, 
little  difficulty  should  be  experienced  in  getting  a  one  hundred  per 
cent  stand.  The  drill  puts  all  the  seed  down  at  a  uniform  depth  and 
with  uniform  packing  on  top,  and  the  seeds  are  spaced  evenly  along 
the  bed.     If  the  operator  is  careless,  however,  the  drill  may  become 


22 


UNIVERSITY    OP    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


clogged  and  an  uneven  stand  result.  Planting  with  a  drill  is  far 
more  rapid  than  planting  by  hand  with  a  hoe.  An  excess  of  seed  is 
sown  in  machine  planting,  to  insure  a  uniform  stand. 

The  depth  of  planting  varies  from  one-half  to  one  and  one-half 
inches,  depending  on  the  type  and  condition  of  the  soil  and  the  season 
of  the  year.  Late  season  plantings,  light  sandy  soils  and  soils  not  well 
pulverized  require  deeper  planting. 


Fig.  13.    Planting  cantaloupes  with  seed  drills.     Above— Seeder  hitched  behind  the 

V  used  in  smoothing  the  bed.    Below — Two  seeders  drawn  by  mules. 


Spacing. — In  the  Imperial  Valley,  practically  all  of  the  beds  are 
seven  feet  apart,  A  few  growers  use  six-foot  beds.  The  "hills"  are 
four  to  four  and  a  half  feet  apart  if  the  plants  are  to  be  covered 
with  paper  caps  for  frost  protection.  Two  plants  are  left  in  each 
hill.  For  late  plantings,  which  are  not  protected,  single  plants  are 
left  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  apart.  The  plants  are  generally 
thinned  twice,  double  the  necessary  number  being  left  at  the  first 


CIRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  23 

thinning.    Replanting  of  missing  hills  should  be  done  at  the  time  of 
the  first  thinning. 

While  growers  usually  follow  the  spaeings  mentioned  above,  this 
sometimes  may  be  varied  to  advantage.  Spacing  is  an  indirect 
method  of  regulating  the  size  of  the  fruit.  With  varieties  whose 
tendency  to  produce  fruits  too  large,  and  where  growing  conditions 
are  very  favorable,  more  marketable  fruits  can  be  produced  by  closer 
planting. 


Fig.  14.  Cantaloupes  protected  with  glassine  paper  covers.  Large  cantaloupe 
fields  are  laid  off  in  sections  400  feet  long,  with  ditches  and  roads  across  the  field 
to  facilitate  distribution  of  water  and  the  hauling  out  of  the  fruit. 

Forcing  Earliness. — Where  earliness  is  a  matter  of  primary 
importance,  several  methods  of  hastening  maturity  may  be  useful. 
In  the  Imperial  Valley,  the  young  plants  are  frequently  protected  with 
paper  covers.  Plants  so  protected  mature  their  crops  four  to  ten  days 
earlier  than  unprotected  plants.  These  protectors  also  make  it  possible 
to  plant  early,  during  December  and  January,  and  so  provide  a  better 
distribution  of  labor.  Several  kinds  of  paper  covers  are  in  use.  Most 
common  are  glassine  or  wax  paper  covers,  sixteen  by  eighteen  inches 
in  size.  Nearly  all  growers  prefer  the  glassine  paper  (fig.  14)  as 
it  does  not  seem  to  hold  condensed  moisture  so  late  in  the  morning, 
and  less  burning  of  the  plants  occurs  with  this  type  of  paper.  In 
recent  tests,1  conducted  at  the  Michigan  State  College,  it  was  found 
that  glassine  paper  allowed  a  much  higher  percentage  of  light  to  go 
through  than  did  parchment  or  oiled  paper,  that  the  temperatures 
were  higher  under  the  glassine  and  that  tomato  plants  made  a  more 
vigorous  growth  under  the  glassine  than  under  other  types  of  paper. 


i  Hibbard,  E.  P.     Frost  protectors  for  early  planting.     Michigan  Agr.  Exp. 
Exp.  Sta.  Quarterly  Bui.  7:150-153.     1925. 


24 


UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


The  covers  are  put  on  immediately  after  planting.  To  support 
them  a  piece  of  No.  17  galvanized  iron  wire  eighteen  to  twenty-four 
inches  long  is  bent  to  form  an  arch,  the  ends  being  thrust  into  the 
ground  so  as  to  form  an  inverted  U-shaped  arch  about  four  inches 
high  in  the  middle,  and  running  parallel  with  the  direction  of  the 
bed.  The  paper  cover  is  then  placed  over  this  arch  and  the  edges 
covered  with  soil  to  hold  it  in  place.  One  man  can  put  on  from 
five  hundred  to  twelve  hundred  caps  a  day,  the  larger  number  being 
possible  only  where  the  soil  is  light  or  well  pulverized.  Galvanized 
iron  wire  is  used  for  the  arches  because  it  will  not  rust  and  can  be  used 
for  several  years. 


Fig. 


15.     Thinning  and  hoeing  cantaloupes  planted  under  protectors,  the  paper 
having  been  temporarily   removed   for   this   operation. 


When  the  plants  are  about  an  inch  high,  the  covers  are  removed, 
the  plants  thinned,  and  the  ground  around  the  plants  cultivated  with 
a  hoe,  as  shown  in  figure  15.  The  paper  cover  is  then  replaced  unless 
it  has  been  badly  torn,  in  which  case  a  new  one  is  put  on.  After 
the  early  part  of  March  the  side  of  the  cap  away  from  the  prevailing 
wind  is  left  up  (fig.  16)  to  allow  more  air  and  light  to  get  to  the 
plant,  and  so  harden  it  before  the  covers  are  removed  entirely.  At 
this  time  some  growers  replace  the  sixteen  by  eighteen  inch  papers 
with  larger  ones,  twenty  by  twenty-four  inches,  using  two  wires  at 
right  angles  for  supports.  These  larger  caps  are  used  partially  for 
forcing  but  mainly  for  protection  from  wind.     About  April  1,  when 


CIRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA  25 

all  danger  of  frost  is  deemed  passed,  the  paper  caps  are  removed  and 
burned,  and  the  wires  taken  up  and  stored  for  use  the  next  year. 

During  the  past  three  years  brush  and  paper  windbreaks  (fig.  17) 
to  shield  the  plants  and  blossoms  from  wind  have  been  used  in  the 
Imperial  Valley,  in  addition  to  the  paper  caps.  These  are  conducive 
to  a  further  increase  of  several  days  in  earliness.  Before  the  paper 
caps  have  been  removed,  a  brush  and  paper  shelter  is  made  to  protect 
each  hill.  Some  growers  have  these  protectors  running  along  the 
top  of  the  bed  in  a  straight  line,  the  tops  of  the  brush  leaning  somewhat 
over  the  plants.  The  best  practice,  however,  is  to  have  each  protector 
so  constructed  that  it  runs  diagonally  up  the  bed.  This  gives  each 
plant  more  protection  from  the  wind  and  allows  more  space  for 
training  the  vine  over  the  bed.  To  make  the  protectors,  four  to  eight 
sticks  of  brush  spaced  four  to  six  inches  apart  are  thrust  into  the 
ground.  The  tops  of  the  sticks  are  inclined  forward  over  the  plants. 
Two  double  sheets  of  newspaper  are  then  placed  against  the  brush 
sticks.  Four  to  eight  more  sticks  are  then  placed  behind,  and  soil 
is  hoed  over  the  base  of  the  paper  to  keep  it  in  place.  The  cultivation 
costs  are  somewhat  increased,  but  since  this  system  prevents  the  wind 
from  whipping  off  the  crown  set  of  blossoms  and  from  damaging 
the  leaves,  the  extra  protection  afforded  is  said  to  be  worth  the 
additional  costs. 

Another  device  for  protecting  early  planted  melons  consists  of  a 
machine-pressed  paraffined  paper  cone,  which  is  rigid  enough  to 
support  itself,  although  it  has  to  be  anchored  with  soil  banked  on  a 
flange  around  the  base  of  the  cone.  These  caps  can  be  put  in  place 
more  rapidly  than  other  protectors,  but  are  not  considered  so  efficient. 
Experiments  with  other  kinds  of  large  paper  caps  are  now  being  made 
by  growers  to  find  some  method  of  reducing  the  expense  of  the  brush 
protectors  as  windbreaks. 

Transplanting. — When  a  hotbed  or  greenhouse  is  used  to  start  the 
plants,  the  seed  is  sown  about  one  month  earlier  than  the  field-planting 
date.  As  the  cantaloupe  is  not  easily  transplanted,  the  seeds  are  sown 
directly  in  containers,  whence  the  plants  are  transferred  to  the  field 
without  disturbing  the  root  system.  Four-inch  clay  pots,  paper  pots 
or  veneer  dirt-bands  are  used.  Transplanting,  which  has  to  be 
performed  with  great  care,  is  not  done  until  warm  weather  prevails. 
Much  extra  expense  is  involved  in  growing  the  plants  and  in  trans- 
planting them  to  the  field,  yet  the  practice  appears  to  be  profitable 
in  certain  sections. 

Other  factors  conducive  to  early  maturity  of  the  crop  are  selection 
of  early  varieties  or  strains,  general  good  cultural  conditions,  pro- 


26 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


tection  from  cold  winds  with  shelter  belts  of  grain  or  hedges  across 
the  field,  selection  of  fields  having  a  slight  slope  toward  the  south, 
and  good  drainage. 


Fig.  16.     Cantaloupe  plant  growing  under  paper  cover,  one  end  of  which  has  been 
removed  to  harden  the  plants  before  the  cover  is  finally  removed. 


'  t- 


i^*;' 


Fig.  17.     This  illustrates  the  construction  of  the  brush  and  paper  wind-breaks, 
which  slope  over  the  young  melon  plants,  and  greatly  increase  the  early  growth. 

Cultivation. — A  large,  deep  root  system  is  essential  to  vigorous 
vine  growth  and  satisfactory  yields  of  cantaloupes  of  high  quality. 
Deep  cultivation  early  in  the  season  aerates  and  warms  the  soil, 
thereby  stimulating  root  activity,  and  puts  the  soil  in  condition  to 
take  up  moisture.  Cultivation  also  kills  weeds  which  compete  with 
the  cantaloupe  plants  for  moisture  and  plant  food.  However,  excessive 
cultivation  to  create  a  fine  mulch  to  conserve  moisture  is  useless  and 
merely  adds  to  the  cost  of  production  without  compensating  results. 


CIRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  27 

As  soon  as  possible  after  the  first  irrigation  after  planting,  the 
bottoms  of  the  furrows  are  cultivated  with  a  seven-tooth  one-horse 
walking  cultivator  (fig.  18).  This  is  from  fifteen  to  thirty  days  after 
planting,  according  to  the  rapidity  with  which  the  soil  dries  out. 
The  tops  of  the  beds  may  be  cultivated  at  this  time,  using  the  same 
cultivator  with  the  teeth  spread  out.  Some  growers  only  give  one 
cultivation  between  the  first  and  second  irrigation,  while  others 
cultivate  three  or  four  times.  After  the  last  cultivation,  a  lister  is 
run  through  the  furrow  or  the  rear  cultivator  tooth  is  replaced  with 
a  wing  shovel,  to  clean  out  and  deepen  the  furrow  preparatory  to 


f 


: 


Fig.  18.  The  one-horse  cultivator  is  used  to  keep  the  soil  in  good  condition 
between  irrigations.  Here  the  paper  covers  have  just  been  removed,  but  no 
brush  wind-break  provided. 

the  next  irrigation.  Usually  one  cultivation  of  the  furrow  is  given 
after  each  irrigation,  until  the  plants  are  so  large  that  further  cultiva- 
tions will  damage  them.  The  number  of  times  the  bottoms  of  the 
furrows  are  cultivated  varies  from  four  to  eight,  The  tops  of  the 
beds  are  cultivated  two  or  three  times  (fig.  19). 

Later  cultivations  are  always  more  shallow  than  the  earlier  ones, 
because  of  the  small  feeder  roots  which  have  been  formed  near  the 
surface  of  the  ground.  Most  growers  gradually  shift  the  irrigation 
furrow  further  and  further  from  the  plant  at  each  irrigation,  the 
purpose  being  to  allow  more  space  for  roots  to  form  along  the  south 
side  of  the  bed.  After  the  final  cultivation,  a  large  sixteen-inch  lister 
is  used,  or  else  a  fourteen-inch  lister  with  the  adjustable  wings  spread 
out.  This  leaves  a  deep  wide  furrow  for  the  irrigations  during 
harvest. 


28 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


M 


s;  ;*; 


Fig.  19.    The  horse-cultivator  may  be  used  erossways  of  the  beds  when  the  planting 
is  in  hills.     This  saves  an  expensive  hand  hoeing. 

Hoeing  is  expensive  and  is  never  done  unless  considered  essential. 
The  ground  around  the  plants  is  usually  hoed  from  two  to  four  times, 
according  to  the  date  of  planting,  condition  of  the  ground,  and  amount 
of  weed  growth.  If  there  is  any  tendency  for  alkali  to  accumulate, 
this  is  scraped  away  from  the  plants  when  the  hoeing  is  done. 
Light  hoeing  is  usually  given  when  the  plants  are  thinned  (fig.  20). 


''•v&v-  --jBfV 


Fig.  20.  Hoeing  and  thinning  late  cantaloupes  which  were  planted  with  a  seed  drill. 


ClRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  29 

The  plants  are  small  then,  with  roots  near  the  surface,  so  the  hoeing 
must  not  be  done  deeply.  Weeds  near  the  plants  are  scraped  off, 
and  a  fine  mulch  created  around  the  plants.  This  is  usually  done 
with  a  short-handled  hoe.  A  second  hoeing  is  often  necessary  between 
the  hills  at  the  time  the  cultivation  between  irrigations  is  given. 
Usually  one  more  hoeing  is  given  with  the  long-handled  hoes,  this 
one  being  deep  and  thorough  to  kill  the  weeds  and  create  a  mulch 
around  the  plants  and  between  the  hills. 


Fig.  21.     The  vines  are  trained  across  the  raised  beds  and  should  be  kept  out  of 
the  irrigation  furrow  as  long  as  possible. 

Turning  the  Vines. — If  irrigation  is  practiced,  it  is  important  to 
keep  not  only  the  melons  but  also  the  leaves  out  of  the  water  in  the 
irrigation  furrows.  Cantaloupes  that  lie  on  wet  ground  have  a 
smooth,  pale  colored  spot  on  the  ground  side.  It  is  necessary,  there- 
fore, to  train  the  vines  out  of  the  furrows  (fig.  21).  This  is  done 
two  or  three  times  during  the  season  simply  by  lifting  the  long 
runners  that  have  gone  down  into  the  furrow,  and  placing  them  on 
the  bed. 

IRRIGATION 

In  nearly  all  of  the  cantaloupe  growing  districts  of  California, 
irrigation  is  necessary,  and  in  the  hot  interior  valleys  where  most  of 
the  melons  are  grown  it  requires  especially  careful  attention.  Both 
quality  and  quantity  of  production  may  be  injured  by  insufficient 
irrigation.  Ripening  can  be  hastened  by  withholding  water,  but 
usually  at  the  expense  of  yield  and  quality. 


30  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

The  water  requirements  of  the  cantaloupe  plant  depend  mainly 
on  the  size  of  the  plant  and  the  weather  conditions.  Large  plants 
use  correspondingly  more  water  than  do  small  ones.  Since  the  leaves 
evaporate  more  water  in  warm,  dry,  or  windy  weather,  plants  should 
be  given  more  water  under  such  conditions  than  in  cool  or  humid 
weather.  The  water  requirements  differ  therefore  not  only  for  each 
locality  in  the  state,  but  also  from  season  to  season,  from  month  to 
month,  and  from  week  to  week.  The  irrigation  practice  used  in  the 
interior  valleys  would  be  unsuited  to  the  cool,  moist  coastal  regions. 
The  capacity  of  the  soil  to  retain  water  is  an  important  factor  in 
determining  the  frequency  of  irrigation.  It  is  therefore  only  possible 
to  give  general,  and  not  specific,  recommendations  regarding  irrigation 
practice. 

If  the  cantaloupes  are  grown  on  raised  beds,  it  is  the  practice  to 
have  the  soil  moist  before  the  beds  are  thrown  up.  This  may  have 
been  done  by  flooding  the  soil  before  preparing  the  beds,  or  else  it 
may  have  resulted  from  the  irrigation  of  some  previous  crop,  such  as 
lettuce  or  peas.  This  preliminary  irrigation  is  very  desirable.  After 
the  beds  are  thrown  up,  some  growers  apply  a  heavy  irrigation,  the 
water  being  held  in  the  furrows  until  the  beds  are  soaked  through. 
As  soon  as  the  land  is  dry  enough,  the  tops  of  the  beds  are  cultivated, 
and  the  seed  planted.  Most  growers,  however,  plant  their  seed  first 
and  then  irrigate,  running  a  small  stream  of  water  down  the  furrows 
until  the  water  has  soaked  up  the  beds  to  just  above  the  seed  drill 
line,  or,  in  case  the  plants  are  covered,  to  an  inch  or  two  above  the 
upper  edge  of  the  paper  cap.  It  is  important  that  the  water  in  the 
furrows  should  not  reach  within  three  or  four  inches  of  the  plants. 

After  this  first  irrigation,  it  is  advisable  to  wait  as  long  as  possible 
before  applying  more  w7ater.  This  will  vary  from  ten  to  sixty  days, 
according  to  the  soil  and  the  weather.  Delaying  the  second  irrigation 
is  considered  important  in  order  to  allowT  the  young  plants  to  develop 
a  deep  root  system.  Another  consideration  in  withholding  this  irriga- 
tion as  long  as  possible,  is  to  allowr  the  soil  to  warm  up.  To  judge 
w^hen  to  give  the  second  irrigation  after  planting,  the  condition  of 
the  soil  and  of  the  plant  must  be  taken  into  consideration.  The  soil 
under  the  surface  mulch  should  be  examined,  and  if  it  is  dry,  an 
irrigation  is  needed.  A  few7  of  the  small  plants  can  be  pulled  up 
to  examine  the  condition  of  the  roots.  Some  growrers  irrigate  when 
the  soil  dries  out  to  the  point  wdiere  it  will  not  cling  to  the  roots 
when  the  plants  are  pulled  up.  Plants  needing  wrater  appear  droopy, 
have  a  dark  green  color,  and  the  edges  of  the  leaves  curl  inward.  In 
the  Imperial  Valley,  for  early  plantings  the  second  irrigation  is  given 
just  after  the  paper  caps  are  removed. 


CIRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA  31 

As  a  rule,  the  next  irrigation  is  delayed  until  the  buds  of  the  first 
hermophroditic  flowers  appear.  It  is  important  not  to  have  extreme 
moisture  fluctuations  during  the  time  the  "crown"  set  is  forming,  as 
such  fluctuations  may  cause  a  failure  to  set  fruit. 

A  fourth  irrigation  is  usually  given  when  the  first  of  the  second 
set  of  melons  have  attained  the  size  of  walnuts.  One  more  irrigation 
may  be  given  prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  harvest,  depending  on 
conditions. 

During  the  harvest  period  the  weather  is  very  warm,  and  the 
plants  are  large  and  have  an  enormous  leaf  area  which  is  evaporating 
moisture,  hence  plenty  of  water  should  be  given.  However,  the  irriga- 
tions should  be  light,  to  avoid  water-logging  the  deeper  layers  of  the 
soil.  When  the  ends  of  the  runners  droop  and  have  a  dull  appearance, 
and  the  leaves  show  a  decided  tendency  to  curl  up  the  plants  are 
likely  to  be  suffering  for  water.  Experienced  irrigators  can  tell  by 
the  way  the  leaves  at  the  ends  of  the  runners  stand  up,  and  by  the 
light  green  color  and  thrifty  vigorous  appearance  of  the  vines  that 
the  plants  are  not  in  need  of  water. 

Frequency  of  irrigations  during  harvest  will  depend  on  the 
weather,  the  size  of  the  plants,  the  character  of  the  soil  and  the 
judgment  of  the  grower.  In  the  Imperial  Valley  some  growers  irrigate 
every  other  day  throughout  the  harvest  season,  while  others  irrigate 
every  third  day  for  the  first  ten  days  or  two  weeks  and  then  every 
other  day.  On  the  other  hand,  in  relatively  cool  weather  and  with 
heavy  soils,  irrigations  eight  to  twelve  days  apart  may  be  sufficient. 

DETERMINATION    OF    MATURITY 

Determination  of  the  proper  stage  of  maturity  for  picking  canta- 
loupes intended  for  shipment  has  proved  a  difficult  problem.  The 
object  should  be  to  pick  each  melon  at  that  stage  of  its  development 
when  it  has  attained  good  eating  quality  and  when  it  at  the  same 
time  has  sufficient  firmness  to  stand  shipment.  To  a  certain  extent, 
these  qualities  are  opposed,  for  the  highest  quality  is  generally 
attained  when  the  fruit  is  fully  ripened  on  the  vine,  but  this  stage  of 
development  is  accompanied  by  softening,  and  further  changes  result 
in  melons  which  are  "over-ripe"  hy  the  time  they  reach  the  market. 
Various  rules  may  be  formulated  for  the  guidance  of  the  pickers, 
but  no  one  of  them  will  hold  good  universally.  Difference  in  varieties, 
time  of  season  and  weather  conditions  must  always  be  considered, 
as  well  as  the  distance  which  the  melons  are  to  be  shipped. 


32 


UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


External  Signs  of  Maturity. —  (1)  Netting.  The  corky  suberized 
tissue  known  as  netting  should  be  fully  developed  all  over  the  fruit. 
It  should  also  be  well  raised  above  the  skin,  and  rounded  out  at  the 
surface.  In  immature  fruit  the  netting  is  flat  and  shows  a  slight 
line  or  crease  along  the  top  and  can  be  easily  rubbed  off  with  the 
finger.  The  net  on  a  mature  melon  is  hard  (2)  Color  of  skin.  Little 
of  the  skin  is  visible  in  the  heavy -netted  types.  Change  of  color  from 
dark  green  or  grey-green  to  yellowish  is  indicative  of  maturity. 
(3)  Condition  of  the  stem.  Considerable  emphasis  has  been  laid  upon 
this  as  a  guide  in  picking.  In  most  varieties,  as  ripening  advances,  a 
crack  develops  around  the  stem  where  it  joins  the  fruit.  When 
maturation  is  complete,  the  stem  slips  cleanly  from  the  fruit,  which  is 
then  known  as  a  "full  slip."  No  other  guide  is  needed  in  picking 
fully  ripened  melons  for  the  local  market,  though  complications  arise 
in  picking  melons  at  the  proper  stage  for  shipment. 

Extensive  experiments  made  in  1916  and  1917  by  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture2  on  shipments  of  Pollock  cantaloupes  from 
the  Imperial  Valley  and  Turlock,  California,  to  New  York  show  how 
important  proper  maturity  is  to  good  quality. 

TABLE    3 

Eesults  of  Picking  Cantaloupes  at  Various  Stages  of  Maturity  on 

Shipments  from  Imperial  Valley  and  Turlock  to  New  York, 

1916  and  1917  (after  McKay,  Fischer  &  Nelson) 


Too 

soft 
Per  cent 

Too 
yellow 
Per  cent 

Decayed 
Per  cent 

Im- 

palatable 
Per  cent 

Total 
defects 
Per  cent 

Condition  on  unloading: 
Picked  commercially 

13.4 

12.7 
9.7 

20.7 
17.7 
11.6 

6.1 
11.5 

2.2 

14.9 
27.0 
10.7 

.3 

.1 

5.1 

3.1 

.4 

Picked  at  full  slip 

Picked  just  before  full  slip 

Condition  two  days  later: 

Picked  commercially 

Picked  at  full  slip 

13.9 

.1 

1.9 

54.6 
47.9 

Picked  just  before  full  slip   . 

24  6 

The  condition  of  the  melons  two  days  after  removal  from  the 
refrigerator  cars  in  New  York  indicates  that  the  commercially-picked 
melons  contained  many  which  were  picked  too  green.  Table  3  indi- 
cates that  full-slip  melons  were  somewhat  too  soft  and  too  yellow  for 


2  McKay,  A.  W.,  G.  L.  Fischer,  and  A.  E.  Nelson.  The  handling  and  transpor- 
tation of  western  cantaloupes.  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Farmers'  Bui.  1145:  1-20. 
1921. 


CIRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  33 

the  most  part,  while  those  picked  just  before  full  slip  had  the  least 
percentage  of  defects.  It  was  further  found  that  the  early  or  ' '  crown- 
set"  melons  can  be  safely  left  on  the  vine  until  the  full-slip  stage, 
while  later  in  the  season  ripening  proceeds  so  rapidly  that  picking 
at  a  stage  somewhat  preceding  the  full  slip  is  necessary. 

Internal  Changes  During  Maturation. — An  important  feature  of 
the  ripening  process  is  the  increase  in  sugar  content,  especially  sucrose, 
as  the  fruit  matures.  Fruit  picked  when  immature  has  a  low  sugar 
content,  which  cannot  be  increased  after  it  is  removed  from  the  plant. 
While  immature  fruits  may  soften  somewhat  during  shipment  and 
so  seem  to  become  riper,  the  sugar  content  is  still  low  and  the  flavor 
poor. 

The  chemical  changes  accompanying  maturation,  and  the  correla- 
tion between  composition  and  external  indications  of  maturity,  have 
been  studied  by  Chase,  Church,  and  Denny.3  Since  edible  quality 
depends  on  texture,  flavor,  and  sweetness,  and  as  texture  and  flavor 
cannot  be  measured  conveniently,  they  took  sugar  content  as  the 
index  of  maturity. 

They  found  that  the  condition  of  the  stem  was  not  an  absolutely 
dependable  indication  of  maturity,  for  often  half-slip  melons  were 
of  better  quality  than  those  picked  at  the  full  slip,  and  sometimes 
full-slip  fruits  were  too  immature  for  human  consumption.  Although 
the  color  of  the  skin  becomes  lighter  upon  maturity,  attempts  to 
classify  melons  on  this  basis  were  unsuccessful,  for  a  third  of  the 
melons  having  dark  green  skins  had  the  composition  of  mature  melons. 
Moreover,  while  there  was  some  correlation  between  maturity  and 
disappearance  of  the  "water-line"  (the  crease  on  top  of  the  net), 
still  it  was  found  that  50  per  cent  of  melons  showing  a  distinct  line  on 
the  net  were  ripe  enough  to  ship.  Concerning  the  development  of  the 
netting,  they  found  that  only  65  per  cent  of  the  fruit  having  well- 
developed  netting  were  of  satisfactory  ripeness,  while  26  per  cent 
of  melons  having  only  a  poorly  developed  net  had  satisfactory  sugar 
content. 

Since  none  of  the  external  indications  of  maturity  were  found  to 
have  an  absolute  correlation  with  edible  quality,  Chase,  Church,  and 
Denny  set  out  to  find  a  more  exact  index  whereby  this  factor  could 
be  judged.  They  reported  that  the  refractive  index  of  the  juice, 
percentage  of  soluble  solids  as  determined  with  the  Brix  spindle, 
total  sugar  content  and  sucrose  content,  gave  excellent  correlations 


3  Chase,  E.  M.,  C.  G.  Church,  and  F.  E.  Denny.  Eelation  between  the  com- 
position of  California  cantaloupes  and  their  commercial  maturity.  U.  S.  Dept. 
Agr.,  Dept.  Bui.  1250:  1-26.     1924. 


34 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


with  edibility.  Table  4  is  summarized  from  their  data,  which  were 
obtained  by  examination  of  a  large  number  of  cantaloupes  grown  in 
the  three  leading  districts  of  California,  in  1920. 

As  a  result  of  their  investigations,  Chase,  Church  and  Denny  con- 
cluded that  cantaloupes  having  a  Brix  reading  (percentage  of  soluble 
solids)  of  10  or  more  could  almost  certainly  be  considered  of  market- 
able quality ;  9  to  10,  doubtful,  and  below  9,  unsuitable  for  marketing. 

TABLE  4 
Kelation  op  Eating  Quality  of  Cantaloupes  to  Composition  op  the  Juice, 


High 

quality 

Satisfactory 

Doubtful 

Not 
marketable 

Tulare: 

Brix,  degrees 

Sucrose,  per  cent 

Turlock: 

Brix,  degrees 

Sucrose,  per  cent 

12.0 
6.58 

11.6 

6.12 

12.3 

11.0 
5.29 

11.0 
5.39 

11.9 

10.0 
4.13 

9.1 
3.55 

10.0 

7.9 
2.04 

7.7 
1.77 

Brawley: 

Brix,  degrees 

Sucrose,  per  cent 

8.6 

Note. — Brix  degrees  are  roughly  equivalent  to  per  cent  of  soluble  solids. 


The  percentage  of  soluble  solids  in  the  extracted  juice  depends 
largely  on  the  sugar  content.  Since  the  soluble  solids  can  be  deter- 
mined roughly  in  the  field  with  the  Brix  spindle,  it  is  a  convenient 
index  of  sugar  content  and  of  maturity.  Shippers  often  make  the 
mistake  of  assuming  that  the  percentage  of  soluble  solids  of  the  juice 
is  the  same  as  the  sugar  content  of  the  whole  fruit.  However,  the 
relation  between  them  is  constant  enough  to  make  the  former  a 
useful  guide. 

From  what  has  been  said  above,  it  is  evidently  difficult  to  correlate 
physical  appearance  with  composition.  However,  experience  under 
a  given  set  of  conditions  checked  against  a  few  determinations  of 
soluble-solids  content  from  day  to  day,  enables  one  to  pick  melons 
that  will  ship  well  and  will  be  of  good  quality,  with  a  considerable 
degree  of  certainty.  The  method  of  determining  soluble  solids  is  as 
follows :  Several  representative  melons  are  cut  and  their  seeds  and 
placentae  removed.  The  edible  portion  is  spooned  out  and  passed 
through  a  food  chopper  or  is  well  mashed.  The  juice  is  squeezed 
out  through  cheese-cloth,  placed  in  a  tall  cylinder,  and  allowed  to 
stand  five  minutes.    Then  a  spindle  hydrometer,  graduated  in  degrees 


ClRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE    PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  35 

Brix,  is  placed  in  the  juice,  the  top  reading  taken  and  corrected  for 
temperature. 

The  principal  result  of  the  work  of  Chase,  Church  and  Denny 
has  been  to  fix  a  standard  by  which  the  maturity  of  any  given  lot 
of  melons  can  be  actually  determined  and  which  can  be  used  as 
evidence  to  justify  the  condemning  of  melons  that  were  evidently  too 
immature  ever  to  be  fit  for  human  consumption. 


Fig.  22.  Picking  cantaloupes  in  the  Imperial  Valley.  Each  man  picks  one 
row  and  empties  his  sack  at  the  end  of  each  400-foot  section.  Note  type  of 
picking  sacks  and  field  crates. 

Changes  of  Composition  in  Transit  and  in  Storage. — There  is  a 
general  idea  among  growers  and  shippers  that  cantaloupes  picked 
and  shipped  in  an  immature  condition  will  ripen  during  transit.  To 
test  this  point,  Chase,  Church  and  Denny  placed  lots  of  cantaloupes 
of  uniform  maturity  in  cold  storage  for  periods  equal  to  those  for 
transit  from  California  to  eastern  cities — from  10  to  14  days.  Analyses 
before  storage,  upon  removal  therefrom,  and  two  days  after  removal, 
showed  that  there  was  little  change  in  composition  and  that  two  days 
after  removal  there  was  a  loss  of  one  per  cent  in  sugar  content. 
There  was,  however,  some  improvement  in  flavor  because  of  the  soft- 
ening of  the  fruit. 

PICKING,  PACKING  AND  SHIPPING 

During  the  height  of  the  picking  season,  the  field  should  be  gone 
over  every  day.  Picking  should  be  done  between  sunrise  and  8  a.m., 
gathering  the  fruits  while  they  are  cool  and  turgid. 


36 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Cantaloupes  must  be  handled  carefully  throughout  the  journey 
from  field  to  table.  Bruising  leads  to  decay,  and  the  consequent  poor 
market  quality  of  many  cantaloupes.  For  picking,  a  canvas  sack 
slung  from  the  shoulders,  and  open  at  both  ends  is  preferred.  Such 
a  sack  is  not  likely  to  be  dragged  on  the  ground  by  the  picker,  and 
is  convenient  to  empty  into  the  field  crates  (fig.  22)  for  hauling  to 
the  packing  shed.  Hauling  the  fruits  from  the  field  in  large  sacks 
or  loose  in  a  wagon  box  causes  much  bruising.  At  the  packing  shed, 
the  melons  should  go  into  padded  bins,  whence  they  are  passed,  in 
grading,  to  the  canvas-bottomed  packing  tables. 

The  importance  of  careful  handling  is  brought  out  by  table  5, 
which  records  data  obtained  in  1917  on  20  shipments  of  cantaloupes 
from  Turlock,  California,  to  New  York.4 


TABLE    5 
Spoilage  of  Cantaloupes  Kesulttng  from  Careless  Handling 


Decayed 
Per  cent 

Molded 
Per  cent 

Bruised 
Per  cent 

Total 
spoilage 
Per  cent 

Condition  on  unloading: 

Carefully  handled 

0 
0.5 

0.4 
6.0 

0.5 
2.4 

0.3 
9.2 

Commercially  handled... 

Condition  two  days  later: 

Carefully  handled 

3.5 
11.7 

4.2 

Commercially  handled  ... 

26.9 

Successful  handling  involves  many  precautions  such  as  being 
careful  not  to  drop  or  drag  the  picking  sacks  on  the  ground,  not  to 
over-fill  the  field  crates,  not  to  drop  or  roll  the  melons  when  emptying 
them  into  the  packing  bin,  and  not  to  squeeze  over-sized  melons  into 
crates  when  packing.  It  is  important  that  the  melons  be  packed  and 
loaded  into  the  refrigerator  cars  as  quickly  as  possible,  since  deteriora- 
tion is  rapid  under  high  temperature  conditions. 

Grading. — While  no  standard  grades  for  cantaloupes  exist,  the 
fruit  should  be  graded  for  uniformity  in  size,  maturity,  and  appear- 
ance. Careful  shippers  discard  all  cracked,  bruised,  diseased,  ill- 
shaped,  over-ripe,  and  immature  fruits,  as  well  as  the  "slickers" 
which  are  not  well  netted  at  the  blossom  end,  and  those  which  are 
noticeably  soft.  The  ripe  melons  are  kept  separate  and  shipped  to 
points  near  by. 


4  McKay,  A.  W.,  G.  L.  Fischer,  and  A.  E.  Nelson.  The  handling  and  trans- 
portation of  western  cantaloupes.  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Farmers'  Bui.  1145:  1-20. 
1921. 


Circ.  308] 


CANTALOUPE    PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA 


37 


Practically  the  only  grades  considered  in  buying  and  selling 
cantaloupes  are  those  associated  with  size.  These  are  designated  by 
the  style  of  crate  and  number  of  fruits  contained,  as  Pony  54  \s, 
Standards  45 's,  36  's,  27  's,  and  Jumbo  45 's,  and  36  's.  Uniformity  of 
size  is  important  in  putting  up  an  attractive,  snug  pack  which  will 
ship  and  sell  well. 


Fig.    23. — Interior   of   large    cantaloupe   packing   shed   showing  the    receiving 

side.     On  the  left  the  melons  are  being  unloaded  from  the  trucks  which  hauled 

them  from  the  field.     In  the  center  are  the  graders  and  opposite  them  are  the 
packers. 

Shipping  Packages. — Gradually  the  styles  and  sizes  of  packages 
are  becoming  standardized. 

1.  The  "standard"  crate  generally  holds  45  melons  packed  in 
three  tiers  of  15  each;  sometimes,  however,  it  contains  36  in  three 
tiers  of  12  each,  or  27  in  three  tiers  of  9  each,  according  to  size  of 
fruit.  The  inside  dimensions  are  12"  x  12"  x22".  It  consists  of 
two  paneled  heads  12  in.  square,  and  12  slats  (three  to  each  side) 
which  are  23y2"  x  3"  x  %". 

2.  The  "Jumbo"  crate  is  13"  x  13"  x  22"  inside  measurements, 
and  is  similar  to  the  standard  in  construction.  It  holds  36  or  45 
melons,  somewhat  larger  than  standards. 

3.  The  "Pony"  crate  is  11"  x  11"  x  22"  inside  measurements, 
and  is  similar  to  the  standard  in  construction.  It  holds  45  or  54 
melons,  smaller  than  standards. 

4.  The  "Standard  Flat"  crate  is  4%"  x  13"  x  22"  inside  measure- 
ments. In  it  are  usually  packed  12  or  15  melons,  in  a  single  tier,  as 
shown  in  figure  25. 


38 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Crates  are  generally  bought  from  the  lumber  mills  as  ''shook," 
the  parts  being  cut  to  proper  size  and  the  heads  already  put  together. 
These  crates  are  made  up  as  needed,  using  cement  coated  nails  which 
are  less  likely  to  pull  out. 

Packing. — The  packing  shed  should  be  near  the  field  and  should 
be  provided  with  ample  shade  or  a  double  roof.  It  should  be  arranged 
so  that  the  melons  are  unloaded  in  the  field  crates  on  one  side  of  the 
shed,  whence  they  are  emptied  by  the  grader  into  the  grading  bins. 
The  grader  removes  all  defective  melons,  dropping  them  into  crates 
on  the  ground,  while  the  melons  to  be  packed  are  placed,  according 
to  size  and  maturity,  in  bins  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  table  (fig.  23). 
The  packers  work  on  the  side  of  the  table  opposite  the  graders ;  when 
the  crates  are  packed,  they  are  placed  on  a  conveyor  which  takes 
them  to  the  lidder  (fig.  24). 


Fig.  24. —  Interim-  view  of  large  cantaloupe  packing  shed,  showing  the  out-going 
side.  At  the  left  are  the  puckers  and  the  conveyor  which  takes  the  packed  crates  to 
the  lidder.  In  the  center  are  stacks  of  packed  crates,  lidded  and  ready  to  be  loaded. 
On  the  right  are  the  refrigerator  cars  into  which  the  crates  are  loaded  almost  as 
soon  as  they  are  packed. 

The  average  field  packing  shed  to  handle  80  acres  of  cantaloupes 
requires  2  or  3  men  to  empty  the  field  crates  and  do  the  grading, 
4  or  5  packers,  one  man  to  nail  the  covers  on,  and  one  loader. 

In  packing,  the  melons  are  placed  end  to  end  in  regular  rows, 
and  are  selected  in  size,  so  as  just  to  fill  the  crate  at  the  sides  and 
ends,  with  a  slight  bulge  on  top.  The  ''Pink  Meat"  or  Burrill  Gem 
type  of  cantaloupe,  being  oblong  in  shape,  is  packed  in  a  slanting 
position  instead  of  end  to  end. 

Wrapping. — The  use  of  individual  tissue  paper  wraps  has  been 
general,  especially  for  the  "Pink  Meat"  type.  It  is  claimed  that 
wrapped  cantaloupes  do  not  soften  so  rapidly  if  delayed  in  loading, 


Circ.  308] 


CANTALOUPE    PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA 


39 


or  after  unloading  from  refrigerator  cars,  that  shrinkage  due  to  loss 
of  water  is  checked,  and  bruising  of  the  fruit  is  lessened.  However, 
wrapped  melons  do  not  cool  off  as  rapidly  in  refrigerator  cars  as 
those   not   wrapped.     Upon   unloading,   the   paper   retains   moisture 


U 


-.#&, 


-mm" 


Fig.  25.  Cantaloupes  packed  in  flats.  Above — 15  "standard"  melons  to  the 
crate.  Below — 12  "Jumbo"  melons.  Note  the  trademark  "Blue  Goose" 
stamped  on  the  individual  fruits. 


which  condenses  on  the  surface  of  the  cool  melons  and  promotes  mold- 
ing and  decay.  Wrapping  is  also  undesirable  because  it  discourages 
inspection  and  encourages  the  shipment  of  defective  stock.  The  most 
common  practice  at  present  is  to  wrap  only  the  fruits  placed  in  the 
middle  layer  in  the  crate,  which  are  most  exposed  to  bruising. 


40 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA— EXPERIMENT    STATION 


The  effects  of  wrapping  are  shown  by  the  following  results  obtained 
in  13  experimental  shipments  from  Imperial  Valley  to  New  York 
in  1916,  reported  by  McKay,  et  al.5 

TABLE  6 
Kelatton  op  Wrapping  Cantaloupe  Fruits,  to  Spoilage 


Too  soft 
Per  cent 


Too  yellow 
Per  cent 


Decayed 
Per  cent 


Molded 
Per  cent 


Condition  on  unloading: 

Wrapped 

Not  wrapped 

Condition  two  days  later 

Wrapped 

Not  wrapped 


17.7 
15.3 

28.8 
34.0 


8.7 
4.6 

17.7 
12.5 


0.5 
0 


28. 
4. 


3.1 
0.2 

42.4 

2.7 


Fig.  26.    Loading  flats  into  refrigerator  ear.    Note  floor  racks,  method  of  stripping 
and   bracing,  and   loaders'  tally  board. 


Loading. — For  long  shipments,  pre-cooled  refrigerator  cars  are 
used;  these  may  be  re-iced  several  times  during  transit. 

An  average  car-load  consists  of  320  standard  crates  or  800  flats. 
Promptness  in  loading  is  essential,  for  softening  proceeds  very  rapidly 
at  the  high  temperature  usually  prevailing  at  the  shipping  point. 
The  effect  of  delayed  loading  on  quality  is  shown  by  the  following 


5  Op.  cit. 


Circ.  308] 


CANTALOUPE    PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA 


41 


results  of  McKay  et  al.,  experimental  shipments  from  Imperial  Valley 
to  New  York,  which  were  delayed  one,  four,  and  eight  hours  at  ship- 
ping point,  before  loading.6 

TABLE    7 
.  Effect  of  Delayed  Loading  on  Spoilage  of  Cantaloupes 


Too  soft 
Per  cent 

Too  yellow 
Per  cent 

Decayed 
Per  cent 

Condition  on  unloading: 

Loaded  1  hour  after  packing 

8.4 
16.7 
27.0 

30.6 
34.7 
43.2 

8.4 
16.3 
15.0 

20.9 
21.5 
26.3 

0 

Loaded  4  hours  after  packing 

0 

Loaded  8  hours  after  packing 

Condition  two  days  later: 

Loaded  1  hour  after  packing 

Loaded  4  hours  after  packing 

1.2 

2.9 
3.3 

Loaded  8  hours  after  packing 

4.4 

Precooling. — Quick  cooling  of  cantaloupes  loaded  in  a  warm 
climate  for  distant  shipment  is  important.  It  has  been  found  that 
warm  melons  loaded  into  a  pre-iced  refrigerator  car  are  not  cooled 
to  40°  F  until  nearly  three  days  after  loading.  At  this  temperature, 
however,  the  enzymatic  and  other  chemical  changes  associated  with 
softening  or  ripening  proceed  at  a  very  slow  rate,  although  they  do 
not  entirely  cease.  The  use  of  various  precooling  systems  has  been 
advocated,  to  bring  the  melons  quickly  to  refrigerator  temperature, 
before  loading,  thus  checking  the  softening  process  which  otherwise 
goes  on  more  or  less  rapidly  for  two  or  three  days.  Precooling,  how- 
ever, has  not  yet  been  extensively  applied  to  cantaloupes. 


MARKETING 

The  normal  channel  of  distribution  is  from  the  grower  to  the 
carlot  broker  or  distributing  agency,  which  is  often  represented  at 
the  shipping  point  by  the  "cash  buyer."  During  transit  or  after 
arrival  at  destination,  the  car  is  sold  to  a  wholesaler,  commission 
merchant,  or  jobber.  The  latter  disposes  of  the  melons  to  retailers  in 
lots  of  from  one  to  several  crates. 

Shipping  Seasons. — Table  8  shows  the  usual  range  of  the  shipping 
season  for  the  chief  cantaloupe  growing  districts,  together  with  the 
carlot  shipments  of  the  period  1921-25.  The  steady  increase  in 
production  indicates  that  the  markets  of  the  country  are  increasing 
their  absorption  of  cantaloupes. 


s  Op.  Cit. 


42 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


TABLE    8 

Principle  Cantaloupe  Shipping  Districts,   Showing   Their  Usual-  Shipping 
Season  and  Volume  of  Shipments 


Shipping  season 

Carlots  shipped 

District 

1921 

1922 

1923 

1924 

1925f 

Texas 

May  10-Sept.  1 
May  20-July  20 
June  10- July  15 
July  1-Aug.  20 
July  1-30 
July  10-Aug.  15 
July  10-Aug.  15 
July  20-Sept.  1 
July  15-Oct.  15 
July  25-Sept.  1 
July  25-Sept.  1 
July  25-Sept.  1 
Aug.  15-Oct.  15 
Aug.  10-Sept.  20 

162 
10,708 

640 

244 
1,474 
1,501 

519 

644 
2,156 

943 
1,204 

421 
3,151 

176 

186 

12,243 

1,630 

550 
1,566 

990 

700 

894 
2,439 

843 
1,233 

275 
4,420 

465 

367 

12,165 

209 

511 

1,171 
329 
567 
649 

2,589 
827 

1,200 
334 

2,314 
296 

416 
15,757 

586 

* 

1,864 

1,052 
401 
822 

2,535 
511 
699 
518 

2,654 
114 

469 

Imperial  Valley... 
Georgia 

13,410 
117 

Tulare,  Calif 

Arizona 

* 
3,057 

Arkansas 

1,063 

North  Carolina... 
Indiana 

546 

1,088 

Turlock,  Calif 

Delaware 

3,176 
637 

Maryland 

1,084 

New  Mexico 

Rocky  Ford,  Colo. 
Michigan 

632 

3,050 

142 

•Included  with  Turlock  as  "Central  California"  in  the  weekly  summaries  of  carlot  shipments, 
Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture. 

t  The  1925  shipments  do  not  include  "Miscellaneous  Melons"  as  Casabas,  Honey  Dews  and  Persians, 
while  the  data  for  the  earlier  years  includes  these  under  cantaloupes. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  season  of  shipments  varies  con- 
siderably, so  that  not  all  of  the  producing  sections  compete  at  the 
same  time.  Figure  1  has  been  constructed  from  the  car-lot  shipment 
records  for  1925,  to  show  the  sequence  of  peak  shipments  from  different 
sections.  The  Imperial  Valley  has  a  great  advantage  in  that  the  bulk 
of  its  crop  is  moved  before  there  is  serious  competition  from  other 
sections.  The  Salt  River  Valley  of  Arizona  has  a  short  season,  with 
a  peak  movement  following  that  of  Imperial  Valley.  For  central 
California,  the  first  peak  in  the  curve  results  from  heavy  shipments 
from  Kern  and  Tulare  counties,  the  second  high  point  comes 
somewhat  later  with  the  movement  from  the  Turlock  district.  The 
chances  for  profitable  marketing  of  Turlock  cantaloupes  depends  upon 
their  maturing  before  the  Colorado  crop  comes  on,  without  over- 
lapping to  any  great  extent  the  Imperial  Valley  and  Arizona  seasons. 


FACTORS  AFFECTING   PRICE   AND   CONSUMPTION 

Distribution  and  daily  carlot  receipts  on  the  larger  city  markets 
have  a  great  influence  on  prices.  Proper  distribution  from  the  main 
shipping  sections  to  the  various  markets  of  the   country  has  been 


ClRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  43 

facilitated  by  the  Market  News  Service  of  the  United  States  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture.  This  has  tended  to  eliminate  over-supplying 
certain  markets  and  under-supplying  others. 

Condition  and  Quality  of  Receipts. — Prices  and  consumption  are 
depressed  by  large  quantities  of  green,  over-ripe,  or  diseased  fruit 
on  the  market.  Melons  of  poor  quality  sell  at  considerably  lower 
prices  or  are  unsaleable. 

Source  of  Supply. — Western  melons  usually  sell  on  eastern  markets 
at  higher  prices  than  southern  or  locally  grown  melons,  because  of 
their  high  eating  quality,  their  uniform  pack,  and  their  good  keeping 
qualities.  Cantaloupes  received  from  humid  regions  fluctuate  in 
quality  from  week  to  week,  depending  upon  rainfall. 

Volume  of  the  Crops. — While  acreage  in  the  various  sections  fluc- 
tuates from  year  to  year,  the  volume  of  shipments  fluctuates  still 
more,  depending  upon  weather  conditions.  An  over-supplied  market 
lowers  prices  and  has  the  indirect  effect  of  causing  much  good  stock 
to  become  stale  before  it  can  be  sold,  thus  further  depressing  the 
market.  Holding  cars  on  the  tracks  for  several  days  after  their 
arrival  at  destination  because  of  unsatisfactory  prices  causes  deteriora- 
tion in  quality  and  demoralizes  the  market. 

The  prevailing  weather  in  the  large  consuming  centers  has  a 
marked  effect  upon  consumption  and  therefore  upon  prices.  Cool 
or  rainy  weather  limits  consumption,  while  fair  and  warm  weather 
stimulates  it. 

Quality,  Price,  and  Volume  of  Competing  Crops. — Such  fruits  as 
cantaloupes,  grapefruit,  table  grapes,  and  peaches  are  used  largely 
for  the  same  purposes;  therefore,  an  over-supply  of  one  results  in 
lower  prices  and  in  a  decreased  demand  for  the  others.  Cantaloupe 
markets  tend  to  be  strong  when  the  southern  and  eastern  peach 
crop  is  shortened  by  spring  frosts.  Competition  with  Florida  grape- 
fruit is  an  especially  important  factor. 

Market  Preferences  as  to  Variety,  Size  of  Fruit,  Type  of  Crate. — 
Figure  27  shows  the  relation  of  size  or  type  of  crate  to  wholesale 
price  on  the  Chicago  market  in  1922.  As  a  rule,  prices  on  flats  (mul- 
tiplied by  3)  are  higher  than  for  any  other  type  of  package.  However, 
it  is  more  expensive  to  pack  and  ship  cantaloupes  in  flats  than  in 
standards.  Thus,  in  1923,  the  cost  of  one  standard  crate,  including 
packing,  at  Turlock,  California,  was  40  cents,  while  the  cost  of  3  flats, 
including  packing,  was  66  cents.  Freight  charges  also  are  somewhat 
higher  on  flats,  since  the  railroad  tariffs  schedule  flats  at  28  pounds 
each,  and  standards  at  68  pounds.  It  seems,  however,  that  more 
extensive  use  of  the  flat  crate  would  be  justified,  especially  as  it  is 


44 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


well  adapted  for  a  retail  unit.  For  the  size  of  melons  packing  36  to 
a  standard  crate,  use  of  flats  seems  especially  advisable.  As  Pony 
crates  sell  at  lower  prices  than  standards,  to  ship  this  size  after  the 
early  part  of  the  season  does  not  pay. 

In  spite  of  the  general  demand  for  rather  small-sized  cantaloupes, 
''Jumbos"  bring  higher  prices  than  standards.  In  many  cases, 
no  doubt,  the  use  of  selected  strains  or  of  cultural  methods  that  will 
produce  a  higher  proportion  of  fruit  of  jumbo  size  will  be  profitable. 


11.00 
/0.00 

\           > 

\ 

\ 

9.00 
6.03 

\ 

V             \ 





^fanobrd  ffofe  x*3 

v 

Uumbo  -45's 
Jfondord  46 ~'s 
Pony  J?4's 
Orer- ripe  SfondoroL 

700 

\\ 

T 

•&>  AST) 

\ 
\ 

r 

^3.00 

.o 
£  Ann 

\ 

\\ 

\  \ 
\  \ 

V    \  \ 

\ 

\ 

3.00 

XA 

. — .    > 

V.  - 

— ^ 

V 
\ 

V^' 

r-"»*- 

^T^z:: 

/ 

£.00 

V*' 

^x 

v 

v 

-- - 

—  - ^ 

100 

.00 

10 


15  cO 

Uune 


P5 


30 


/O 
Uu/y 


15 


£0    £3 


Fig.  27.     Jobbing  price  per  crate  for  different  packs  of  Imperial  Valley  canta- 
loupes on  the  Chicago  market  in  1922. 


The  lower  price  of  green-fleshed  melons  as  compared  with  Salmon- 
tint  types  has  been  mentioned.  The  ''Pink  Meat"  type  (Burrill's 
Gem  and  Hearts  of  Gold)  generally  commands  higher  prices  than 
any  other  type.  The  former  variety,  however,  is  comparatively  late 
in  maturing,  does  not  have  high  shipping  quality  and  is  not  adapted 
to  culture  in  every  section.  The  latter  has  proven  quite  satisfactory 
as  a  commercial  variety  in  Imperial  Valley  and  the  Turlock  districts. 


ClRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  45 


INSECTS 

Melon  Aphis  (Aphis  Gossypii) . — The  melon  aphis  attacks  all  kinds 
of  melons  and  many  other  plants.  Its  occurrence  on  cantaloupes  is 
rather  sporadic,  but  on  account  of  rapid  reproduction,  it  is  frequently 
a  cause  of  severe  damage  to  melons  planted  late.  Growers  should 
always  be  prepared  to  control  this  insect  as  soon  as  it  appears.  If  the 
early  centers  of  infestation  are  allowed  to  spread,  control  becomes 
almost  hopeless. 


Fig.  28.     A  hand  duster  is  shown  here  mounted  on  mule-back  to   facilitate  the 

dusting   for  aphis. 

The  insect  is  a  small  green  plant-louse,  found  chiefly  on  the  under 
sides  of  the  leaves,  especially  near  the  tips  of  the  runners.  After  a 
time  the  leaves  become  curled  downward,  plant  growth  checked,  and 
the  plant  itself  killed.  Nicotine  dusts,  applied  with  a  hand  or  power 
duster  (fig.  28)  have  been  found  effective  against  melon  aphis. 
Commercial  or  home-made  preparations  containing  two  per  cent 
nicotine  sulphate  (equivalent  to  5  per  cent  Black  Leaf  Forty)  are 
suitable  for  control  of  this  aphis.  If  the  presence  of  the  aphis  is 
noticed  before  many  plants  are  attacked,  some  growers  prefer  to  pour 
kerosene  on  and  burn  the  infested  vines. 

Cucumber  Beetles  (Diabrotica  spp.). — Two  forms  occur  in  Cali- 
fornia, one  having  spotted  wings  and  the  other  striped.  They  are 
sluggishly  flying  insects,  about  %6  inch  long,  yellowish  green  and 
black  in  color.  While  they  feed  on  many  plants,  cantaloupes  are  one 
of  their  favorite  hosts.  The  tender  leaves  of  the  young  plants  are 
particularly  susceptible,  whereas  older  plants  do  not  seem  to  be  much 
injured  unless  the  insects  are  very  numerous.    The  young  fruits  are 


46  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

also  attacked,  with  the  result  that  they  may  be  much  scarred  upon 
maturity.  Cucumber  beetles  are  relatively  hard  to  control.  Nicotine 
dust  containing  four  per  cent  nicotine  sulphate  (10  per  cent  Black 
Leaf  Forty)  is  fairly  effective,  as  is  calcium  cyanide  dust.  When  the 
plants  are  small,  a  cage  covered  with  cheese-cloth,  and  large  enough 
to  cover  the  plants  of  a  single  hill,  should  be  used  in  dusting.  The 
cage  i*s  dropped  over  the  plants  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  insects, 
and  the  dust  is  blown  in  through  a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  cage. 
Spraying  and  dusting  with  arsenicals,  such  as  arsenate  of  lead,  has 
been  recommended  in  the  eastern  states  for  these  insects,  but  has  not 
proved  successful  in  California.  The  Ohio  Experiment  Station7 
strongly  recommends  the  use  of  a  dust,  consisting  of  one  part  calcium 
arsenate  to  20  parts  of  gypsum.  According  to  the  same  authority, 
lime  should  not  be  used  in  dusts  applied  to  melons. 

Cutworms. — Considerable  damage  to  the  young  plants  is  caused 
by  various  species  of  cutworms,  especially  when  cantaloupes  are  grown 
after  alfalfa  or  sod.  Many  growers  use  no  protective  measures, 
simply  resorting  to  replanting.  Very  successful  results  have  been 
obtained,  however,  by  using  poison  bran  mash.  The  following  formula 
and  directions  for  mixing  are  recommended :  Bran  25  pounds,  paris 
green  or  white  arsenic  1  pound,  molasses  2  quarts,  and  water  3% 
gallons.  The  amounts  should  be  carefully  measured  and  not  guessed 
at.  The  paris  green  or  white  arsenic  should  be  dissolved  in  2  quarts 
of  water  to  which  the  molasses  is  added  and  well  mixed.  This  is 
thoroughly  stirred  into  the  balance  of  the  water.  Then  slowly  pour 
this  liquid  over  the  bran  so  as  to  get  every  particle  of  bran  saturated. 
The  bran  should  be  moist  enough  so  that  only  two  or  three  drops  of 
moisture  can  be  squeezed  out  of  it.  The  mixture  should  be  distributed 
late  in  the  afternoon  as  cutworms  work  mostly  at  night.  About  7 
pounds  will  be  needed  to  an  acre,  scattering  a  small  amount  around 
each  hill.  J.  C.  Elmore,  Junior  Entomologist  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture,  in  working  in  Imperial  Valley  found 
that  attractants  such  as  amyl  acetate  (banana  oil),  oranges,  and 
lemons  were  of  no  value,  and  that  the  addition  of  more  than  1  pound 
of  poison  to  25  pounds  of  bran  made  the  bait  distasteful  to  cutworms. 

Red  Spider. — Red  spider  causes  injury  to  the  leaves  of  the  young 
plants  very  similar  to  the  damage  done  by  thrips.  Spraying  with  10 
gallons  of  atomic  sulfur  to  100  gallons  of  water  has  given  satisfactory 
control  in  Imperial  Valley  without  any  burning  of  the  plants  by 
the  sulfur.     Dry  sulfur  alone  or  in  combination  with  lime  will  burn 

7  Houser,  J.  S.,  and  W.  V.  Balduf.  The  striped  cucumber  beetle.  Ohio 
Agric.  Exp.  Sta.  Bui.  388:  241-364.     1925. 


CIRC.  308]  CANTALOUPE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  47 

the  young  plants  if  the  day  temperature  exceeds  about  70  degrees 
Fahrenheit. 

Seed  Com  Maggot  and  Wireworms. — Seed  corn  maggot  and  wire- 
worms  sometimes  attack  cantaloupe  seeds  that  have  been  planted  in 
cold  moist  soil  and  have  been  slow  in  germinating.  Sometimes  the 
seedlings  are  attacked.  Replanting  when  the  ground  is  warmer  seems 
to  be  the  best  treatment. 

Nematodes. — Cantaloupes  and  all  related  crops  are  very  susceptible 
to  injury  by  nematodes.  The  injury,  which  is  more  likely  to  be 
severe  on  sandy  soils,  is  known  as  "root  rot"  in  Imperial  Valley. 
Soil  known  to  be  infested  should  not  be  planted  to  cantaloupes. 
Fairly  satisfactory  control  of  nematodes  has  been  effected  by  drilling 
in  calcium  cyanide  at  the  rate  of  600  pounds  to  the  acre,  and  satis- 
factory crops  of  tomatoes  have  been  grown  after  this  treatment,  but  it 
is  not  known  how  cantaloupes  would  react  to  it. 


DISEASES 

Many  of  the  fungous  diseases,  so  destructive  to  cantaloupes  in 
humid  regions,  fortunately  do  not  occur  to  any  extent  in  California. 
The  absence  of  rain  and  the  low  humidity  of  the  air  during  the  growing 
season  act  as  excellent  preventives  for  most  diseases  of  the  foliage. 
At  least  two  diseases  of  the  foliage  may  attack  cantaloupes  in  Cali- 
fornia, however. 

Rust. — A  disease  of  the  foliage  commonly  called  "rust"  is  caused 
by  the  fungus  Macrosporium  cucumerium,  small  circular  water-soaked 
spots  which  enlarge  and  become  tan-colored,  appear  on  the  leaves.  It 
has  been  reported  to  be  the  cause  of  extensive  damage  to  cantaloupes 
in  Arizona.  It  was  for  resistance  to  this  disease  that  the  Salmon-tint 
variety  was  bred  by  P.  K.  Blinn;  presumably  attacks  of  the  rust  are 
not  to  be  feared  where  this  variety  is  grown.  Since  the  fungus  over- 
winters in  the  dead  plants  as  dried  mycelium,  according  to  Brisley,8 
rotation  of  crops  is  advisable  where  this  disease  occurs. 

Powdery  Mildew. — In  1925  a  very  serious  outbreak  of  powdery 
mildew,  supposedly  caused  by  a  species  of  Erysiphe,  occurred  in  the 
Imperial  Valley,  and  caused  a  reduction  of  about  fifteen  per  cent9 
of  the  crop,  some  growers  suffering  much  more  severely  than  others. 


s  Brisley,  H.  R.     Blight  of  cucurbits  caused  by  Macrosporium  cucumerium. 
Phytopath.  13:   199-204.     1923. 

9  Ivan  C.  Jaggers,  Pathologist,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture.     Personal  com- 
munication. 


48  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

In  1926,  mildew  caused  even  more  extensive  damage  in  the  Imperial 
Valley.  It  is  possible  that  the  unusually  high  humidity  of  the  1925 
and  1926  seasons  was  responsible  for  the  severity  of  the  disease.  The 
mildew  appeared  first  in  fields  just  before  harvest,  tiny  grey  patches 
(fig.  29)  appearing  on  the  under  sides  of  the  larger  older  leaves  and 
quickly  spreading  to  the  younger  small  leaves  and  stems.  The  leaves 
and  stems  soon  became  dry  and  brittle,  dying  in  from  two  to  three 
weeks  after  the  disease  started  on  the  vine.  Tests  were  conducted  in 
an  effort  to  control  the  disease,  though  not  until  after  the  mildew 
became  apparent  on  the  leaves.     Of  all  the  materials  tried,  sulfur 


Fig.  29.     The  whitish  spots  on  cantaloupe  leaves,  typical  of  Powdery  Mildew  in 
the    early    stages    of    the    disease. 

alone  appeared  to  control  the  mildew,  but  even  when  diluted  seventy- 
five  per  cent  with  gypsum  or  lime,  it  caused  such  severe  burning  to 
the  cantaloupe  leaves  that  its  use  was  abandoned.  The  following 
materials,  applied  three  times  at  weekly  intervals  proved  of  no  value : 
copper  carbonate  dust  containing  sixtj^-one  per  cent  copper  oxide; 
fifteen  per  cent  monohydrated  copper  sulphate  and  lime;  twenty-five 
per  cent  monohydrated  copper  sulphate  and  lime;  ten  per  cent  per- 
manganate of  potash;  and  twenty-five  per  cent  copper  carbonate. 
Dustings  were  made  with  crank  type  and  bellows  type  hand  dusters, 
with  the  most  powerful  engine  driven  power  dusters  on  the  market, 
and  with  airplanes.  Applications  varying  from  ten  to  seventy-five 
pounds  to  the  acre  were  made.  In  1926,  all  American  varieties  and 
many  foreign  varieties  were  tested  at  Brawley,  California,  and  none 
of  commercial  value  showed  any  marked  resistance  to  mildew. 

14m-10,'26 


